During the day, Jiang Luo had drawn an entire stack of suppression talismans.
Thanks to his training in the design institute, he had rapid hand speed. And thanks to that mysterious qi—whatever it was.
As a result, he could now drown Chi You in yellow talismans like he was throwing money around.
He could crush Chi You to death just by sheer weight.
Jiang Luo leisurely watched the increasingly twisted and eerie mist. He smiled, his thin lips curving, and used his uninjured hand to press a talisman down on the mist’s neck, then drove his knee—also wrapped in talismans—viciously into the ghost’s stomach.
Chi You let out a muffled grunt.
Jiang Luo bent forward, a few strands of black hair falling from his shoulders like threads. In a gentle voice, he asked, “Teacher, does it feel good?”
The black mist paused for a few seconds. Then the ghost suddenly laughed.
His laughter grew louder and louder, with a hint of madness, chilling to the bone and deeply unsettling.
Jiang Luo listened calmly. He stuck another talisman on the ghost and softly said, “I’ll make sure you enjoy this night to the fullest.”
….
Lu Youyi woke up groggily to find messages in the class group chat calling him down for breakfast.
He curiously headed to the dining hall and saw seven people already sitting and eating together, chatting noisily. Lu Youyi asked, “How are you guys up so early?”
“Jiang Luo bought breakfast and woke us up,” Ge Zhu replied happily as he slurped soy milk. He’d always believed the richest person was king, and eating Jiang Luo’s food turned him into Jiang Luo’s biggest fan. “Hurry up and eat, Jiang Luo bought all this for us this morning. Jiang Luo, you’re amazing. Long life and blessings! Having you as a classmate is honestly the best thing ever.”
Lu Youyi scratched his head and sat down, then glanced at Jiang Luo in confusion. “Why’d you suddenly decide to buy us breakfast?”
Then he looked down and was startled. “What happened to your hand?”
Jiang Luo’s right hand was wrapped in a brand-new plaster cast.
Jiang Luo smiled broadly, clearly in a great mood. “You guys were drunk last night. While I was helping carry you all back to your rooms, someone fell on me and dislocated my arm.”
The drunk crowd immediately stiffened, each one glancing nervously at Jiang Luo like they were silently asking, Which idiot was it?
Jiang Luo scanned the group, then slowly settled his gaze on Kuang Zheng, who was growing increasingly stiff.
He still hadn’t figured out what the deal was with the Yin-Yang hoop, and this was a perfect excuse to ask Kuang Zheng to take a look at it. Sorry about this—guess you’ll have to take the fall, tool refiner.
Beads of sweat rolled down Kuang Zheng’s forehead. Despite his mountain-like build, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Noticing Jiang Luo’s gaze, Kuang Zheng muttered awkwardly, “I’m sorry.”
He rarely drank, so he didn’t know how he acted while drunk.
But most of his classmates were slim and slender—probably only he was heavy enough to dislocate Jiang Luo’s shoulder with a fall.
Kuang Zheng was filled with guilt. He clenched and unclenched his fists and apologized again in a low voice: “It’s all my fault…”
Jiang Luo suddenly felt like he was bullying an honest person. After years in society, he rarely saw people as straightforward as Kuang Zheng. But he had thick skin and a sharp mind, so he kept a calm expression and said, “It’s fine. You were drunk; it wasn’t intentional.”
The more forgiving he acted, the more guilty Kuang Zheng felt. “I’m sorry. I’ll take care of you.”
“If you need anything, just ask me,” Kuang Zheng added. “And I’ll pay for your medical expenses too.”
Jiang Luo magnanimously shook his head. “It’s okay. I still have my left hand.”
Kuang Zheng fell silent, but his expression clearly showed he had made up his mind to take good care of Jiang Luo.
Wenren Lian sighed. “Why’d it have to be the right hand?”
Jiang Luo was right-handed—he used it for drawing talismans and doing just about everything. Hearing that, Jiang Luo sneered inwardly.
Wasn’t it because Chi You got mad after being hit with seven talismans and having all his puppets destroyed?
“One month from now is the Yunnan competition,” Ye Xun said. “There’s still time. You can recover by then.”
Jiang Luo smiled radiantly. Even with his injured hand, his mood remained great. “I’m just tagging along. The spotlight’s on you guys.”
He genuinely wasn’t interested in the competition.
But when he saw the promotional poster for the “National College Student Natural Sciences Competition,” his brows furrowed.
His eyes locked onto the prize for first place.
It was a bead.
Clear and glass-like, with cold white mist swirling inside—it looked exactly like the bead the funeral shop owner had, the one Jiang Luo had been so intrigued by.
Next to the bead, the poster only had two lines of text:
[First Prize: Yuan Tian Bead.]
[Effect: Enhances spiritual body.]
These two simple, even overly brief lines were enough to send shockwaves through the entire metaphysical world.
What does “enhances spiritual body” mean?
In this field, talent is everything. Design might rely on inspiration, but if you’re stuck, you can still follow templates, look through hundreds of designs, and eventually create something. But in this line of work, if you lack talent, no matter how hard you try, you’ll accomplish nothing.
As Jiang Luo stared at the bead, he couldn’t help but think of the forbidden technique the original Jiang Luo had used to kill Chi You.
The forbidden technique and the function of this bead shared a striking similarity—both could influence spiritual bodies. The forbidden technique could strip another’s spirit, while this Yuan Tian Bead could enhance one’s spirit.
And it seemed that this Yuan Tian Bead wasn’t the only one in existence.
Was there a connection between this bead and the forbidden technique that had lured the original Jiang Luo into a trap?
Jiang Luo couldn’t stop thinking about the bead. But to get close to it, he would first need to pass the first two rounds of the competition. From that moment on, aside from attending class and practicing writing talismans with his left hand, Jiang Luo spent all his remaining time in the library.
He threw himself into studying, absorbing as much knowledge as he could, determined to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by. It wasn’t until his classmates dragged him to the airport that Jiang Luo realized—it was time to fly to Yunnan for the competition.
Still in a daze, Jiang Luo was helped onto the plane. Kuang Zheng sat beside him to take care of him.
The plaster on Jiang Luo’s right arm had been removed just this week. After not using the arm for nearly a month, his hand felt a little clumsy. While practicing writing with his right hand again, Kuang Zheng quietly handed him a packet of information on the Yin-Yang hoop.
For the past month, this honest guy had been bringing Jiang Luo meals, cleaning his room, and had even re-refined the Yin-Yang hoop for him. He’d taken care of all the hard work, to the point where Jiang Luo was starting to feel guilty about taking advantage of him.
But Kuang Zheng was sincere and stubborn. After deciding it was his fault, he insisted on making it up to Jiang Luo. Even now, with the plaster gone, he stayed close, determined to ensure that Jiang Luo’s hand was truly healed.
Feeling a bit sheepish, Jiang Luo took the documents. Just then, Wenren Lian came down the aisle and smiled as he patted Kuang Zheng’s shoulder. “Hey, big guy. Switch seats with me?”
Today, Wenren Lian wore a clean-cut denim maxi dress with his long hair styled in soft waves. He looked both sharp and stunning. Kuang Zheng looked at him, then quietly stood and gave up his seat.
“Thanks,” Wenren Lian said with a smile.
He gracefully sat down beside Jiang Luo and tilted his head to glance at Kuang Zheng, who was still awkwardly standing in the aisle. He chuckled. “If you don’t want to swap, we can switch back.”
A slightly stiff expression crossed Kuang Zheng’s tanned face. He shook his head and walked over to Wenren’s original seat.
Jiang Luo greeted Wenren Lian, who rested his chin in his hand and looked him over. “Jiang Luo, you’ve been working so hard this past month.”
“I’ve just been doing what I can,” he replied modestly.
“Your rate of improvement has already exceeded our expectations,” Wenren Lian murmured. “You really seem like…”
“Like what?” Jiang Luo asked.
Wenren Lian just smiled and shook his head, then pointed with his chin. “Check out the info big guy prepared for you.”
Jiang Luo flipped through the material. The Yin-Yang hoop was a rare personal artifact—capable of both defense and exorcism. However, to use it, it needed to be activated.
And as for how to activate it… even Kuang Zheng, who was a skilled tool refiner, didn’t know.
After finishing the document, Jiang Luo let out a sigh. He lifted his hand and gave his wrist a little shake. The bracelet, gleaming with a soft light and appearing somewhere between jade and wood, was certainly beautiful. But without knowing how to use it, no matter how pretty it was, it couldn’t compare to a simple talisman in usefulness.
“Still no idea how to use it?” Wenren Lian asked.
Jiang Luo shook his head.
Wenren Lian thought for a moment. “The Feng family’s Heavenly Master, Feng Li, will also be attending this competition—as a judge. You’re from the Feng family. Want to go ask him about it?”
Jiang Luo sat up. “Feng Li is a judge?”
“Each year, one person from each of the six major sects serves as a judge,” Wenren Lian said with a mocking smile. “Feng Li has always declined in the past. But this year, he’s agreed. That alone means this competition won’t be easy.”
Although Wenren Lian wasn’t from one of the six major sects, his sources were plentiful. If he said Feng Li would be there, then Feng Li would definitely be there.
Jiang Luo wasn’t keen on meeting Feng Li. He rubbed his forehead. “I’ll decide after we arrive.”
In the world of Devil, Feng Li was almost unnaturally intelligent, cold, and emotionless. Given that he had helped Chi You seek revenge on the original Jiang Luo, Jiang Luo wasn’t eager to cross paths with him.
At 3 p.m., the plane landed in Yunnan. In May, the Yunnan sky was a brilliant blue with thick, white clouds—a scene that looked like an oil painting.
The reception staff had been waiting at the airport and quickly drove the group to their hotel.
The teacher leading Baihua University’s team was Teacher Fang, a feng shui expert, friendly and easygoing. On the way to the hotel, Jiang Luo noticed many university students out and about. Given that it wasn’t summer break or a weekend, it was obvious they were all students from natural sciences or metaphysical studies.
When the staff saw a group of students heading out shopping, they said mysteriously, “Teacher Fang, do you know how many participants there are this year?”
Teacher Fang was curious. “How many? It shouldn’t be less than a hundred right?”
“Try 180!” the staff member said. “Besides the twelve universities, a lot of disciples from the six major sects are also participating. The last two competitions never had this many people.”
Teacher Fang chuckled. “Everyone’s here for the prize.”
Baihua University’s metaphysics class had eight students, all of whom had earned the 20 required credits to participate—an impressive feat. When Jiang Luo and his teammates got off the bus, and people heard they were from Baihua University, curious and competitive gazes followed them.
Jiang Luo stretched lazily. His long hair had grown a bit over the month, now brushing against the butterfly bones on his back. He had taken a short nap on the plane; though his hair was slightly tousled, his complexion was glowing, and he looked refreshed and dazzling.
He was used to being watched and ignored the stares, grabbing his luggage and following his teammates upstairs.
Jiang Luo shared a room with Lu Youyi. After putting away their luggage, Lu Youyi ran to the window and drew open the curtains. “So pretty!”
He suggested excitedly, “Jiang Luo, let’s go try the local Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles, yeah?”
Jiang Luo lowered his head to change clothes. “Sure, let me change first.”
Lu Youyi watched him change his shirt and couldn’t help but admire: Jiang Luo’s skin was so nice—tight, fair, beautiful, and sexy. But when Jiang Luo began to take off his pants, Lu Youyi suddenly felt awkward and turned away to look out the window. Then he suddenly shouted, “Holy cr*p, Jiang Luo! People from your Feng family are here!”
Jiang Luo pulled up his pants and, adjusting his clothes, walked over to the window.
A few young people were getting out of the van below. From the original host’s memories, Jiang Luo recognized them as some of the most gifted talents of the younger generation in the Feng family.
Jiang Luo was thoughtful.
So many people coming—it was obvious most of them were here for the Yuan Tian Bead. Items that could enhance one’s spiritual body were extremely rare. With such an opportunity in front of them, few would remain unmoved.
Except for those truly gifted enough to scorn the use of the bead.
At last, the final person got out of the van.
He wore a black Tang suit and had a cold expression. His presence stood out in the crowd like a crane among chickens. The younger students in front of him stepped aside to clear a path as he slowly walked into the hotel.
This man was the gong protagonist from the original novel—Feng Li.
Author’s note:
Gong: Why don’t you change clothes in front of me?
Shou: …
