Chapter 038: Reciprocating Fortune! Spirit Binding! Experimenting with Gameplay!
“Li Songlin actually knows the super genius from the Demigod Kindergarten?”
The cultivators working out all put down their training tools.
They stared intently at Li Songlin: “I’ve heard that the super geniuses in the Demigod Kindergarten each possess top-tier golden roots; they are destined to become the strongest of the strong in the future!”
“But… how could Li Songlin possibly know such an untouchable figure?”
“Who knows?”
“To be acquainted with someone like that is a blessing earned over several lifetimes. Li Songlin will surely rise swiftly to great heights!”
For ordinary cultivators like them, the squad leader of the Clearing Corps was an unquestioned superior. The top ten squad members were revered figures. As for the Corps Commander He Sifang, he was a mountain-like presence in Jing City.
To catch the eye of Commander He, be promoted once or twice, and receive some resource favor was a tremendous opportunity.
But Li Songlin actually knew the super genius from the Demigod Kindergarten!
That was an even greater figure than Commander He!
A single word from such a person could overturn a fate!
Amid the buzz of conversation, Li Songlin, still half dazed, quickly took a cold shower, changed into dry clothes, and nervously followed the patrol behind.
On the way, the patrol and Li Songlin encountered He Sifang and Lu Ya. He Sifang was the third-ranking official in Jing City and the Commander of the Clearing Corps; Lu Ya was an elegant elderly noblewoman, a friend of the kindergarten’s director, and the seasoned Chief of General Affairs with a Bright Line root.
Seeing the two dignitaries, Li Songlin stood at attention and saluted, “Greetings, Commander!”
He Sifang, usually stern and strict with his subordinates, warmly patted Li Songlin’s shoulder: “Little Li, how did you come to know that great person?”
Li Songlin was puzzled: “I don’t know…”
He Sifang asked again: “You don’t know?”
Li Songlin replied: “I really don’t. I hope I haven’t offended them?”
He Sifang shook his head: “I know your character. You often do good deeds; you wouldn’t have offended that great person.”
Lu Ya walked alongside, curiously examining Li Songlin.
How could Xu Ran be connected to Li Songlin? It seemed impossible…
Soon, they arrived at the VIP reception room. Lu Ya casually pushed the door open: “Xiao Ran, why didn’t you notify me before coming to visit Auntie?”
Xu Ran stood and said, “Aunt Lu… so you’re a leader here?”
Lu Ya chuckled: “Just a semi-retired old cadre. Haha. By the way, what brings you to see Li Songlin? This young man shouldn’t have made any mistakes, right?”
Xu Ran blushed: “No mistakes. I just wanted to see if this Li Songlin really exists.”
He Sifang and Lu Ya exchanged a glance.
Such a strange way to put it…
Lu Ya nudged Li Songlin: “Well, there you go! This is Li Songlin.”
Li Songlin, still dazed, approached Xu Ran. Though his movements were awkward and his expression anxious, his thick eyebrows and large eyes unconsciously radiated integrity.
But upon seeing Xu Ran’s face, confusion flickered in Li Songlin’s eyes—he did not recognize the figure at all, never having met such a great person in his memory.
“Greetings… to you!”
Xu Ran nodded, carefully observing Li Songlin for over twenty seconds.
Yes! It was exactly the same. The gaze was firm and pure, filled with righteousness. The only difference was that he looked younger.
In his dreams, he had seen this figure rush against the tide, racing like a shooting star to Xu Ran’s side, pushing the blade with both hands, using his small body to block the heart-piercing attack of a three-meter tall monster, Smoke Night Fork, buying time for the boy in the wheelchair behind to escape.
Then… he was pierced through the chest, heroically sacrificing himself.
“I’ve never met Li Songlin, yet I dreamt of such a person. I know his age, I know his appearance. Though the dream does not match reality, it feels incredibly real…”
“Even if it’s only a dream, I’ll reward him with a chance.”
Xu Ran nodded silently, then looked at He Sifang: “Given Li Songlin’s character, could you allocate some resources to help him advance to the Hill Realm or even the Mountain Realm sooner?”
He Sifang was overjoyed inside but maintained a calm exterior: “Li Songlin is indeed a talented individual of high moral character! I have been assessing him recently. He has met all the criteria and will soon receive focused training.”
The artful way he spoke justified his position as the third-ranking official—never clichéd, full of tact.
Xu Ran smiled: “Then… thank you, Commander He.”
Li Songlin stammered, “Ah… this… I…”
He Sifang cut him off sternly: “Quick, thank the great person.”
Li Songlin said earnestly, “Thank you, great person!”
Xu Ran nodded and stood up.
“Aunt Lu, I need to hurry with my training. I’ll visit you again next time.”
Lu Ya raised her delicate eyebrows: “Training? At your age? That’s very dangerous. Do you want me to protect you?”
Xu Ran waved her off: “It’s fine. Uncle Ye is protecting me.”
Lu Ya raised her brows further: “So it’s Uncle Ye… no wonder you could leave the kindergarten.”
Chief Inspector Ye?!
He Sifang’s eyes widened. Xu Ran’s status suddenly soared in his mind.
Only the top super genius of the Demigod Kindergarten would have Chief Inspector Ye as a personal protector. That kind of treatment was extraordinary.
It seemed Xu Ran’s future was even brighter and more magnificent than he had imagined.
He might even become the captain of the God-Slaying Squad.
Such a figure was normally out of his reach, but now, with Li Songlin’s connection… an invisible bond had formed.
Very good.
He Sifang’s gaze toward Li Songlin shifted from subordinate to benefactor.
“I’ll see you off.”
“No need,” Xu Ran waved his hand.
---
But He Sifang was still enthusiastic, leading Li Songlin to escort Xu Ran out of the General Affairs Department.
After watching Xu Ran disappear from sight, He Sifang patted Li Songlin’s shoulder again: “Your character is truly commendable. Even such a great person cares for you, which shows your worth. Rest assured, the Clearing Corps will give you more resources.”
“Do not slack off; strive to break through to the Hill Realm as soon as possible.”
Li Songlin hesitated: “Receiving preferential resources… isn’t that improper?”
He Sifang declared firmly: “What’s improper? I’ve been evaluating the Corps personnel constantly. You passed the assessment yesterday. This is just the official notice.”
Li Songlin stood upright: “Understood, Commander! I will work twice as hard!”
…
At midday, Xu Ran had already reached the outskirts of the city. In a sparsely populated wilderness, he sped forward.
Three Thousand Thunder Progress +1…
Three Thousand Thunder Progress +1…
Ye Ping was amazed: “Huh? His speed rivals even body technique? How much is this kid hiding?”
“Could it be true that aptitude and roots are truly all-powerful?”
Ye Ping was increasingly baffled by Xu Ran’s depth. Watching him dash over a hundred meters ahead, Ye Ping used body technique to quickly catch up.
“Xiao Ran, what are you doing out here?”
“Trying to hunt some crystal beasts and experiment with new methods.”
Ye Ping looked puzzled: “Experiment with methods?”
“Yes. Hunt, then try new techniques.”
Hidden deep in the forest, Xu Ran silently approached a crystal beast, eyes fixed, arm flicked gently, and a folded paper throwing knife flew out.
The sharp sound suddenly pierced the forest.
The crystal beast, just entering the Hill Realm, abruptly looked up, limbs bent preparing to leap away from danger, but a thin blade flashed suddenly in its pupils.
“Pschhh!”
Its throat was slashed open, blood spraying skyward.
The Hill Realm crystal beast screamed and collapsed convulsing on the ground, its pale blue bony spines digging up clumps of moss and soil.
Seeing this clean, decisive strike, Ye Ping was shocked: “Something’s wrong! Is this kid really six years old?!”
Even a super genius with golden roots before age eight was just a child with special abilities; it was impossible to kill a Hill Realm crystal beast from over four hundred meters away with a single flying knife!
For example, Zhu Yuheng could create a field to slow down the movements of Monument Realm experts, but Hill Realm? Sorry, no slowing there.
The gap was terrifying.
No matter how strong the roots, they could only be powerless.
But what was Xu Ran doing? Throat-slashing with one blade?
A six-year-old child with just over 3,000 vitality points killed a Hill Realm crystal beast estimated to have 15,000 vitality points with one cut?
Absurd!
If Ye Ping hadn’t seen it himself, he would never believe a human child under eight could defy the laws of nature this way.
Where was the shackle of the universe’s rules?
Gone?
After Newton could no longer govern the New Era, the universe’s rules don’t apply anymore?
Ye Ping stared blankly at the boy’s back.
The boy was calm, standing before the dead crystal beast.
“Spirit Binding!”
Xu Ran bound the Hill Realm crystal beast’s soul to the paper throwing knife; the pale blue light merged into the blade’s body.
“The hardness and sharpness are significantly enhanced, and it can absorb energy to heal after damage. Plus, when thrown, it can be controlled to change direction and lock onto enemies?!”
Xu Ran was first surprised, then delighted.
No wonder third-sequence paper spirit binding was so powerful… directional control and lock-on were incredibly annoying!
“This calls for binding as many as I can!”
Xu Ran’s smile was radiant as he darted through the forest like a hawk. Six minutes later, a bird-shaped Hill Realm crystal beast fell beneath his throwing knives, becoming the spirit of a folded paper bat.
“Mobility increased by 30%, patrol range extended from 500 to 1,000 meters, plus an automatic alarm function that alerts at suspicious presence!”
Very good, very good. That’s impressive, huh?
Then I’ll just activate self-discipline mode!
Xu Ran smiled faintly, flashing through the woods. Whenever he encountered a crystal beast, it was a swift, throat-sealing strike.
Spirit Binding +1…
Spirit Binding +1…
Spirit Binding +1…
Time flew. When he had successfully bound fifty main folded paper spirits, Xu Ran had already cut through a mountain forest.
“A 40,000 vitality crystal beast’s soul bound to my strongest assassin mantis… it’s invincible?”
Xu Ran stopped his self-discipline.
He felt surprised as he sensed the assassin mantis.
Once accompanying him in slaying eight Guguzang and eradicating lake-bottom Guguzang, this assassin mantis’s power leapt dramatically after receiving the soul spirit. It could likely hunt crystal beasts or ghost creatures with vitality up to 80,000!
“Definitely a bit invincible. From now on, I’ll call you Mantis One.”
Xu Ran smiled faintly.
Today’s self-discipline had been exhilarating and fruitful!
A conservative estimate put his combat power increase at over tenfold.
---
“I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”
Xu Ran leaned against a tree trunk, resting briefly.
Ye Ping asked, “Xiao Ran, what exactly are you doing? I can’t understand at all. You kill those crystal beasts and seem to capture their spiritual power…”
Xu Ran replied, “It’s a method of comprehension. Want me to explain?”
Ye Ping shook his head: “Another long lecture? Forget it.”
Xu Ran shrugged: “So, Uncle Ye, you can’t see souls?”
Uncle Ye frowned slightly: “I can sense a vague mass of spiritual energy, but it’s just a blurry energy body. When you put it into the folded paper, the spiritual energy dissipates…”
“A blurry energy body? No visible features like eyes or limbs?”
Uncle Ye suddenly shivered: “You don’t see spiritual energy bodies’ features, do you? Don’t scare me! The latest research suggests only gods can truly see souls’ forms.”
Xu Ran hesitated, then casually fabricated: “I can’t see them.”
Uncle Ye was doubtful: “…I feel like you’re not telling the truth. You don’t really have godlike vision, do you? Then maybe you can find the Nightmare Resentful Mother!”
Xu Ran said nothing more. He plucked a leaf, held it between his teeth, and leaned lazily against the tree trunk as the last rays of sunset bathed him in a relaxed glow.
“Once we return to the city, it’ll be night. After dinner, we’ll search the city.”
Ye Ping looked surprised: “You’re really confident you can find the Nightmare Resentful Mother?”
Xu Ran shook his head: “I’m not confident.”
“Just trying. Even if I fail, I’ll have done my best and can report back to the director.”
“Alright, let’s head back, Uncle Ye!”
After a brief rest, Xu Ran set off, vanishing on the horizon like a swift hawk.
Ye Ping marveled: “Such a young age, yet so energetic!”
Night fell swiftly; within half an hour, it was pitch black, with only a flickering red moon hanging low.
Originally, all was silent except for insects chirping and distant owls hooting.
Suddenly, Xu Ran’s figure flickered, turning transparent as he cautiously hid in a tree, eyes fixed on the distance.
Four furtive, dark figures, carrying three sacks, moved swiftly across the grass.
“Heh, even though the city patrol is tight, we have godlike talismans. Snatching a few kids is easy.”
“Divine travel talisman, soundproof talisman, vitality growth talisman—all great stuff, heh heh.”
“As long as we capture enough kids to offer as sacrifices, we’ll soon become Mountain Realm cultivators! Changing fate by force is a breeze!”
The four talked boastfully and conspiratorially.
Ye Ping frowned.
Xu Ran, hiding nearby and eavesdropping, suddenly lit up.
Encountered a child trafficking gang? Excellent! What if I pretend to be kidnapped now and manage to trigger a small bug to erase the second kidnapping? Then I won’t have to worry anymore.
Wouldn’t that be perfect?
Xu Ran was amazed by his own cleverness. He thought himself a genius!
“Uncle Ye, wait. I’ll pretend to be caught and taken to their lair. You follow behind, and we’ll catch them all at once. How about that?”
Ye Ping couldn’t understand: “Why pretend to be caught? Just follow secretly. With your invisibility and my hiding techniques, we won’t be detected by mere late Monument Realm cultivators.”
“Is this also one of your experimental methods?”
“Trust me!”
Xu Ran didn’t explain further. He dashed from the bushes, shouting for help: “Help! Crystal beasts! Crystal beasts!”
The four dark figures’ sharp eyes immediately focused on Xu Ran.
“Heh, there’s even a tender-skinned little boy here? Grab him! Take him back for sacrifice!”
Under the wavering red moonlight, the four showed sinister expressions in unison.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh—”
They didn’t even ask where Xu Ran came from, quickly binding him tightly.
Their reverse binding skills were excellent; to prevent accidents, they stuffed cloth in his mouth and put him in a sturdy sack.
“Carry carefully, comrades. Tender little boy, the gods will love him. Heh heh~”
Now, all four carried a heavy black bundle on their shoulders.
“Good luck, family.”
“Divine travel talisman, move!”
Ye Ping was puzzled and amazed: “Divine travel talisman? Pretty fast!”
He quickly followed to ensure Xu Ran’s safety.
Inside the sack, hearing the wind whistle, Xu Ran’s eyes gleamed. He could instantly cut the ropes and sack with his folded paper and turn the tables on the four, but he didn’t.
He wanted to go to their lair and investigate their secrets.
Their chat was strange—offering children as sacrifices to gods to obtain divine travel talismans, soundproof talismans, vitality growth talismans…
Were there gods near Jing City? Why didn’t the General Affairs Department’s cultivators know this?
If they needed sacrifices to exchange for talismans, they were definitely not proper gods!
Moreover, talismans like those had never been developed in the current human cultivation system.
Yet these so-called gods could bestow talismans… what was really going on?
Could it be related to the Nightmare Resentful Mother?