Chapter 463: The Captain Is Too Awesome

[Wang Gang: ???]

[Qi Ming: 666]

[Zhao Dongchuan: 666]

[Mo Lian: 6666]

[Zhou Xian: 6]

Yan Jing put his phone away and rested his eyes.

With exactly three hours left before the Dungeon opened, he left his hotel room to get some fresh air.

The square in front of the hotel was unusually quiet today.

The usual bustling crowds were gone. The familiar figures that normally huddled in corners to discuss how to challenge the staff had completely vanished.

As Yan Jing walked toward the babbling hot spring in the center of the square, a beautiful silhouette stood up from beneath an adjacent portico and blocked his path in a few quick strides.

Yan Jing looked up at the person in front of him.

It was Aunt Yun, the female staff member who had greeted everyone at the airport. She had a mole by the corner of her mouth and a bone-deep, natural allure.

She wore the same airport uniform, complete with a pinned silk scarf and the Moon Yin Badge on her inner shirt. Her watery eyes narrowed into a smile. "Where are you going, sir?"

"To sit by the hot spring."

Yan Jing smiled. "Does that require a challenge too? I've seen quite a few people sitting there over the past few days."

Zhuang Yun's smile grew bewitching. "It wasn't necessary the past few days, but today is different."

"How so?"

Yan Jing's tone was gentle, showing no displeasure at Zhuang Yun blocking his path.

"The ranking tournament is about to begin,"

Zhuang Yun said softly. "At a crucial time like this, whoever approaches the central hot spring will become everyone's target. It's an unspoken rule."

"That spot is reserved for those with ambition. Look at the thirteenth floor of the hotel, then look at Villa Twenty-Four, and the second floor of the First Building. All three sides are watching."

The three locations she mentioned were the residences of the leading figures from Yueyin, Tianzi, and Beast Lord.

Right now, countless gazes were fixed on this exact spot through those windows.

Standing by that hot spring meant announcing an intention to take first place.

"Of course, aside from all that, the fundamental truth is that you just aren't qualified yet, Mr. Yan."

Zhuang Yun had clearly recognized him. She chuckled lightly. "That spot is only for those who are prepared."

"Soon, someone will step forward to make a declaration."

"It will either be the First Monarch of Beast Lord, the First Son of Tianzi, or Yueyin's top Seed, Wan Yicheng. There is no place for you among them, Mr. Yan."

"Besides, I've heard Little Xia mention you. You don't seem like the type who enjoys showing off, Mr. Yan."

"Look closely at how tense the atmosphere is right now, and you should understand the stakes."

Yan Jing lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings.

All those differing gazes were currently fixed on the central hot spring. Soon, representatives from the three great domains would take turns stepping forward to declare their intentions.

Who would speak first and how they would do it—those details were crucial.

Pairs of eyes shifted to him. Their gazes held suspicion, confusion, and disdain, but absolutely no belief.

Finally, he laughed. "I really don't like showing off."

Opposite him, Zhuang Yun smiled and nodded, very satisfied with the youth's tact.

But Yan Jing's next words made her expression stiffen.

"However, my father once told me something."

Yan Jing smiled. "Time always moves forward, passing by everyone fairly."

"When it's your turn to take the stage,"

"you have to step up."

"That is your time."

"A person doesn't get many moments like that in life. Once missed, they're gone forever."

"That is life."

"I believe what my father said, and I feel that for me, the time has come."

With that, Yan Jing gave Zhuang Yun a slight nod, stepped past her, and continued toward the hot spring.

Zhuang Yun's face darkened. She had already received word that Wan Yicheng would soon step out first to make his declaration.

She hadn't expected Yan Jing to be so deaf to her advice.

Her fingertips twitched. An invisible energy, identical to the one she had used that day, spread out and converged on Yan Jing.

According to her expectations, Yan Jing's lower body would have a reaction within two seconds at most. When that happened, whether he tried to cover himself or run away, he would make a complete fool of himself.

She hadn't wanted to go this far, but he had disrespected her first. This would serve as a lesson for him.

Yet several seconds passed, and Yan Jing's expression remained perfectly natural.

How is that possible...

Zhuang Yun frowned. She hadn't expected him to have such high endurance.

The Weird Energy output from her fingertips abruptly surged.

One second, two seconds...

Just as Zhuang Yun's frown deepened, Yan Jing's footsteps suddenly paused a short distance away.

Zhuang Yun felt a surge of satisfaction.

He was just a young man, after all. His blood ran hot.

How could he possibly endure something like this?

Unexpectedly, Yan Jing turned his head the very next second and smiled at her. "Your skills are quite good, Aunt Yun."

"It's a pity, though—you're a bit too old."

When he finished speaking, Zhuang Yun felt a buzzing in her head.

She could hardly believe her ears.

In all these years, she had never heard anyone describe her as "too old."

Let alone in front of such a massive crowd.

After all, the elites of all three domains were currently gathered in the First Ring Domain, and everyone was closely watching the hot spring.

Among them were the young Heavenly Prodigies of this generation, the Heavenly Prodigies of the previous generation, and even her seniors and several domain lords!

And Yan Jing's voice had not been quiet.

From the surrounding buildings, the sounds of sharp intakes of breath rose and fell in succession.

No one had expected Yan Jing to say such a thing.

By the window of the First Building, Sheng Xia's eyes widened. "Oh no... here he goes again..."

This was a disaster.

Yan Jing clearly didn't understand Zhuang Yun's temper, nor did he know her taboos.

Zhuang Yun had an excellent relationship with a certain esteemed figure and was highly respected herself.

It was fair to say that aside from a scant few ancestor-level figures, Zhuang Yun was a First Echelon figure in the First Ring Domain.

A clash between the two of them was absolutely inevitable now.

Beside her, Wan Yicheng's face darkened. "I didn't expect Mr. Yan to be so lacking in manners. I hope Aunt Yun can teach him a lesson."

Sheng Xia didn't agree. Instead, she sighed softly, a trace of worry lingering between her brows.

She seemed worried that Zhuang Yun would be outmatched.

Seeing Sheng Xia's expression, Wan Yicheng's face grew even darker.

On the top floor of the First Building.

"This little guy is quite tough."

A figure wearing a dragon-patterned T-shirt stood with their back to the floor-to-ceiling window, yet they seemed to see the scene below with crystal clarity. They laughed. "I understand what you meant back then, Rabbit."

"..."

"You wanted to teach him a lesson, didn't you?"

"Borrowing another's knife to kill—not bad, not bad. This little guy isn't bad either; he didn't fall for it."

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat oppressive.

White veils fluttered in utter silence.

The Tiger-Skin Skirt Woman chuckled. "I actually really like this kid's personality. Even though he killed one of our people, he at least let one come back alive."

"Rabbit, if you don't want him, why not give him to me? I feel like he'd easily rank in the top three with us."

In the silence, the fluttering white veils seemed to multiply.

"Kid, you've really crossed the wrong person."

Zhuang Yun's cheeks flushed crimson. Her body temperature had clearly spiked, yet her eyes were as cold as ice as she glared at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing turned around and walked back to Zhuang Yun's side.

Just as she was about to strike, Yan Jing raised a hand, gently pressed hers down, and placed an object into her palm.

He spoke softly. "Aunt Yun, this is for you."

Feeling the contour of the object in her palm, a freezing chill shot up Zhuang Yun's spine straight to the crown of her head. She felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar.

It was the badge from her inner shirt.

If he could take her badge, he could naturally take anything else from her.

Most crucially, she hadn't seen how he did it from start to finish.

According to everything she had learned since childhood, if she couldn't even see her opponent's movements, her chances of winning...

...were basically zero.

"Aunt Yun, thank you for the warning earlier."

Yan Jing leaned in and whispered into Zhuang Yun's ear. "But my words still stand."

"You are too old."

"Some matters are best left to the younger generation."

"You should rest when it's time to rest."

Zhuang Yun's lips twitched, but she couldn't speak a single word. Her face, flushed crimson just moments ago, was now deathly pale.

She looked up, caught Yan Jing's gaze, and her heart trembled inexplicably.

She immediately lowered her head and hurried away in a panic.

With no one left to stop him, Yan Jing walked to the edge of the hot spring under countless astonished gazes. He raised his head and spoke softly. "Everyone, in this ranking tournament, my goal is first place.

"My name is Yan Jing."

"If anyone has a problem with that, you can come find me."

With that said, a coincidental gust of wind blew past. The hem of his windbreaker fluttered, and his figure vanished on the spot.

Yan Jing had ultimately chosen a mild approach.

There was only one reason for this.

He was unwilling to expose too many of his abilities in front of that domain lord.

Whether that domain lord took him seriously or not, a battle between them was inevitable.

Since a fight was certain, he didn't want to give the other party any more information.

He had revealed quite a few abilities over the course of his journey, but most of what reached that domain lord's ears would only be verbal accounts.

For example, the teleportation and threads he had displayed in the Second Ring Domain, or the Fear Stance First Layer he had shown in the Third Ring Domain...

This was also why he hadn't challenged the staff members over the past few days.

The more he fought, the more he would expose.

As a challenger, he naturally had to maintain the awareness of one.

The surrounding crowd was utterly silent.

No one had expected Zhuang Yun to voluntarily concede.

No one had heard their final exchange clearly. Whether their voices were simply too quiet or masked by some method, the words remained hidden.

But everyone had heard Yan Jing's final declaration loud and clear.

"This guy is indeed not bad."

Inside Villa Twenty-Four.

A buzz-cut man sprawled on a tiger-skin recliner, smiling as he looked at Jin Yao nearby. "Little Yao, losing to him was no injustice."

"But wanting to take first place... I think it's still too early to say."

He chuckled to himself. The two metal rings on his ears clashed, producing a crisp chime.

"You're right, Brother Chen,"

Jin Yao smiled in agreement.

In truth, his heart was pounding. He was worried Yan Jing would cause trouble for him after they entered the Dungeon.

He continuously spun his thumb ring.

He had absolutely zero confidence in fighting Yan Jing. But he had received orders from above regarding the last incident, leaving him no choice but to provoke him.

Seeing how domineering Yan Jing remained, he was green with regret.

On the thirteenth floor of the hotel.

Nine figures were present—lounging on sofas, standing by the windows, and one even hugging a chandelier—all in various postures.

Yet they were all focused on the hot spring, their eyes glinting with amusement.

"Interesting, very interesting."

The girl hugging the Dragon Doll clapped her hands, her expression joyful. "Yueyin is definitely going to blow up over this. It was supposed to be Wan Yicheng stepping up, right?"

"Big Brother, this is perfect. You don't have to agonize over whether to go up or not anymore. Since it's already taken—mmph!"

Halfway through her sentence, a woman dressed in a butler's uniform covered her mouth. "You mustn't say any more."

The woman's expression was gentle, yet her words carried an undeniable edge of authority.

In the corner of the room, a figure crouching in the shadows let out a sigh of relief. "Right, right, right. This is fine. This is fine."

"I don't have to agonize over it anymore."

Although Yan Jing had crashed the scene, the symbolic declaration process still had to proceed. Representatives from the three domains took turns walking to the hot spring to announce their goals for this trial.

Naturally, all of them aimed straight for first place.

Time ticked away, minute by minute.

Finally, when the hour hand pointed to four in the afternoon, identical prompts appeared before everyone's eyes.

[Landing locations for this Dungeon will be completely randomized, based on the pre-submitted rosters.]

[All participants' Mental Immunity Value in this Dungeon is 0.]

[A Crystal Stone will be issued for this Dungeon. Participants can voluntarily exit the Dungeon by using Weird Energy at half of its full capacity.]

[The contents of this Dungeon have been altered. Specific details can be viewed upon entering.]

[Welcome, esteemed Players.]

The familiar sensation of dizziness gradually faded. Yan Jing opened his eyes and saw the other five members of his team.

Everyone still looked the same as before.

Qi Ming wore a baseball jacket and cap. Mo Lian was in a night-ops suit, sporting short hair. Zhou Xian wore a short-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, his hair buzzed short. Zhao Dongchuan was clad in a pure white windbreaker, his bangs falling past his eyebrows.

The one with the most noticeable change was Wang Gang. Although she still had her long chestnut hair and carried a massive rucksack, her face was much fairer than the last time Yan Jing saw her, and she lacked that distinct scent of machine oil.

"Have you stopped tinkering with scrap piles lately, Miss Wang?" Yan Jing asked with a smile.

Wang Gang looked displeased, puffing out her cheeks. "It wasn't scrap! And it was your girlfriend who forced me to wash my face."

"You mean Teacher Shen?"

"Yeah, that was her surname."

After Yan Jing formally introduced everyone, he declared, "This time, our only goal is first place."

"Don't worry, Captain."

Wang Gang forcefully patted her bulging rucksack. "I've brought all of our village's hidden trump cards this time."

Mo Lian shot Wang Gang a surprised look.

She hadn't expected Wang Gang to be so enthusiastic, eagerly calling him 'Captain' with every breath.

Seemingly noticing Mo Lian's gaze, Wang Gang leaned close to her ear and whispered, "He gave our village a lot of money. Is he super rich?"

"A lot of the elders in our village are calling him a great philanthropist now."

"I almost died last time, so my family refused to let me come out again. But as soon as they heard I was helping him, they literally kicked my butt out the door."

Mo Lian didn't know how to respond, especially since Wang Gang's so-called "whisper" was actually quite loud. Fortunately, Yan Jing bailed her out. "No whispering in the ranks."

"Yes, Captain!"

Wang Gang gave a sharp salute.

"Alright, let's divide up the roles,"

Yan Jing said. "Qi Ming will be our intelligence officer and vice-captain. Dongchuan is support. Zhou Xian is the primary attacker. Mo Lian is on guard duty, and Miss Wang will be the secondary attacker. Mo Lian and Miss Wang will stick together. Does anyone have objections to this arrangement?"

No one voiced any complaints. Almost everyone here had run Dungeons with Yan Jing before and knew his style.

Even if Yan Jing assigned roles completely blindly, none of them would object.

They all knew that Yan Jing would end up doing the heavy lifting in the end anyway.

Only Wang Gang raised her voice weakly. "Captain, from now on, could you not call me Miss Wang? Just call me Gangzi."

"Understood, Gangzi."

"Yes, Captain!"

Wang Gang's demeanor reminded Yan Jing of a certain ship captain he knew.

"Captain, what's our first move?"

Qi Ming adjusted his baseball cap and asked.

Although he figured their first step was most likely verifying their current location, that was just standard Dungeon procedure. Right now, they were running a Dungeon with Yan Jing...

Sure enough.

"Our first move,"

Yan Jing said, "is to wait."

"Got it, Captain." Qi Ming nodded.

And so, the group simply waited in place.

They seemed to be in a depression surrounded by several snowy mountains. Looking in every direction, all they could see was a vast expanse of gleaming white snow.

Wait... what are we waiting for? Wang Gang's eyes filled with confusion.

This was completely different from the Dungeon procedures she was familiar with.

But seeing that no one else looked the least bit doubtful, all she could do was sit up straight and wait respectfully.

A few minutes later, Yan Jing smiled. "It's here."

He reached out, grasping gently at the empty air in front of him, and a map fell directly into his grasp.

He unrolled it, and several large words caught everyone's eyes.

[Revised Edition 5.51 of the Complete Divine Treasury Map]

Staring at the incredibly detailed map, which even included topographical markings and annotations, everyone maintained a calm expression—except for Wang Gang, who was thoroughly shocked.

They had known all along that this was how a Dungeon with him should be run.

"Let me see... this place is called Glacial Valley."

Yan Jing stated.

The moment he finished speaking, the group immediately broke into applause.

"The Captain is badass."

"Badass, so badass."

"6."

Wan Yicheng opened his eyes. Looking at the pale gray sand and dust dancing wildly in the air around him, his gaze sharpened.

"Xiao Feng, go gather some intelligence."

"Understood," the short youth replied.