"Second brother, fourth brother?"
The burly man's eyes turned red, and his long sword emitted a dragon's cry, producing several inches of sword light in the darkness, and he slashed horizontally!
Puff!
The long sword slid over the body of the wild boar demon beast, leaving behind a long gash.
What would have been a fatal wound for a human meant almost nothing to this swine demon. Instead, it only further stimulated its ferocity.
Huff huff huff huff!
It raised its hooves high and stomped down fiercely!
Boom!
The ground trembled as if in an earthquake.
A ring of earthen yellow light emerged and quickly spread in all directions.
The third brother was directly enveloped in the light, and several earth spears appeared at his chest, pinning him to the ground.
"Third brother?!"
The burly man knew he was in trouble and didn't hesitate any further. He took out a bright yellow talisman from his beast skin pouch in front of his chest and tore it open with great care.
Dang!
A circle of golden brilliance appeared around him, faintly forming the shape of a large golden bell.
Several earth spears fell on the golden bell, making a dull sound.
After stimulating this hard-earned 'Golden Bell Shield Talisman', the burly man didn't hesitate any longer and turned to run!
In the darkness, a ball of golden light fled desperately forward, while a massive shadow with blood-red fangs chased after it, making it stand out strikingly.
After these two had left, the sound of propellers turning suddenly came through the air.
A small black drone descended, its mechanical claw reached out, grabbed some small objects from the ground, and quickly disappeared into the night.
...
Temporary camp.
"Sword light? That man's strength is indeed of the Rough Jade rank, and beyond that, he even had talismanic magic? What is this... cultivation? Cultivation?"
Fang Xing looked at the surveillance video, his expression displaying shock, then he looked up at the sky.
"It's here."
He operated the drone to descend and caught the snatched items in his hand.
"It's worthy of an interstellar era drone; not only cheap but also significantly improved in terms of endurance and carrying capacity..."
He sighed, put on rubber gloves, and began to sort the items.
Among them, the most eye-catching, naturally, were several stalks of 'Vermilion Dragon Grass'!
After all, for these few people, they had almost lost their lives for it; it should be something good.
"Hm, there are quite a few extraordinary species nearby, and it seems that there are some strange herbs near their nests..."
Fang Xing examined the Vermilion Dragon Grass and touched his chin, suddenly conceiving a lucrative idea.
That was to use drones to harvest various rare herbs!
There were many benefits to this; first and foremost was its stealthiness!
To many wild beasts, drones were just inanimate objects and hard to notice.
Add to that the ability to fly, making them swift in movement, and stealthy in action, the success rate was very high!
Of course, if a demon beast did spot it, then the drone would certainly be destroyed.
But this brought up another advantage—cheapness!
Even if a demon beast did discover it, at worst, a drone would be lost.
In Fengye City, this was practically equivalent to a child's toy, and the price was very cheap.
"Take a gamble, a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle."
Fang Xing sighed again and looked at the other miscellaneous items.
There wasn't much scavenged, including a pitch-black dagger that, when drawn, was chilling and obviously extremely sharp.
Besides that was a small money bag.
This money bag seemed to be tanned from beast skin, drab and inconspicuous.
After tearing open the bag's mouth, inside were three peculiar ore stones and four rice-sized, strange crystal stones.
"This bag is tightly sealed, which shows that its former owner was afraid of accidentally losing these few pebbles..."
Fang Xing placed a crystal in front of him and examined it carefully, noting that it was transparent like jade and seemed to contain a mist inside.
Moreover, with the external light source, it appeared to be enveloped in a layer of illusory and misty multicolored brilliance.
"One look, and you can tell, it must be something good."
He casually put the items away and looked at a large map on an electronic screen.
After a few days of investigation, Fang Xing had gained some understanding of the area.
"There are many extraordinary species, many fierce beasts... It is a dangerous place."
"Together with the route taken by those four people today, should the human settlements be to the east?"
"Go back, buy a few more toy models, and explore towards the east..."
With a thought, Fang Xing set the autopilot and released the drone again.
Then, counting silently to three in his heart, a silver-white brilliance emerged before his eyes.
The light flourished and engulfed him completely.
When he came back to his senses, he was standing in his bedroom.
"It's known now that I can freely travel through the Otherworld, needing only a three-second delay and not consuming anything else..."
"As for the location of the travel, it seems to be based on my current position?"
"Lastly, items from this world and even live test animals can be taken to the Otherworld, and things from the Otherworld can also be brought back..."
Fang Xing looked at his palm, where the small money bag lay quietly.
"Good stuff is good stuff, but it's a pity I can't take it out for appraisal, much less sell it..."
"Even, the materials I bought before were a bit strange, if I make large purchases next time..."
Although the Federation values privacy, and citizens are free to purchase anything as long as it's not on the list of prohibited items,
Fang Xing was in the habit of keeping a few tricks up his sleeve.
"Perhaps I should spend more time outdoors and build a persona as an outdoor survival fanatic?"
"Now that I'm only buying and not selling, the problem isn't too big..."
He confirmed something once more, or rather a principle for future action—items from the Otherworld must never be sold under this public identity!
"It seems... I can't avoid the black market after all."
Fang Xing sighed.
...
Oak Park.
Verdant vegetation stretched as far as the eye could see, with continuous lawns and colorful flower beds at the edges.
It was night, and the lights were dim.
The pathways made of varicolored pebbles were sparsely populated, and there were long benches at intervals, each fashioned into various small animal shapes.
Due to its tranquil environment and beautiful scenery, it had always been a popular spot for the amorous couples of Fengye City.
Liu Wei was holding a bouquet of flowers, waiting anxiously, when suddenly a delicate, soft voice reached his ears, "Ah Wei, I'm here..."
"Lian... Lian Yi."
Liu Wei seemed startled and then seemed to want to hide the flowers behind his back, but he realized it was futile—his embarrassment was palpable.
"What did you want to see me for?" Bai Lianyi wasn't wearing her usual practice attire but had donned a pure white dress that accentuated her delicate features.
"I... I..."
Liu Wei seemed to have braced himself for something, and finally, he said, "I've thought it through clearly, it's not Ouyang Qianqian I like, but..."
Bai Lianyi, with a smile tinged with melancholy in her eyes, shook her finger, stopping Liu Wei, "It won't work..."
"Why? Because of what happened at the Glamorous River Mansion? I know, I understand it all, I'm not a fool... I just... don't mind..."
Liu Wei's face turned red all of a sudden, as if even his acne was quivering.
"What is there to mind? I just dated a rich boyfriend, that's all..." Bai Lianyi answered calmly: "I'm not stupid, and I wouldn't say things like those annoying girls."
Liu Wei was at a loss for words.
Indeed, that was the information he had gathered.
Bai Lianyi wasn't as dishonorable as her female classmates had said, but there were other matters.
For example, her wealthy boyfriend was somewhat older...
'It seems that in the minds of Caucasians, having a sugar daddy isn't much of a thing, especially for the sake of education, it even feels somewhat inspirational...'
A thought emerged in Liu Wei's mind, and he then promised, "I swear, I'll treat you well, and I'll get into college, I..."
As he spoke, however, he suddenly came to a halt, because the young man truly had nothing, not even debt.
All he could offer was the future and hope!
But none of these things were as good as the present!
Such was the harsh reality of a naive youth's first love!
"Hmm..."
Bai Lianyi twiddled her fingers, "I'll cheer for you, and for Ah Xing..."
"Ah Xing?"
Liu Wei felt a strange sensation: "Why mention him?"
"Because..." The maiden's eyes seemed to sparkle: "Ah Xing is so amazing... He's already advanced to the Second Rank of the Great Dragon Stance, he's very likely to get into college."
"I..."
Liu Wei fell silent suddenly, he felt like a lost dog.
Compared to now, he couldn't beat that person.
Looking at the future, he couldn't beat Ah Xing either.
Even though he no longer minded and even admired the girl before him, wishing to provide her with security, why did things turn out this way?
His heart went cold in an instant, and without knowing what he said, he staggered away.
...
The night wind was cold, enveloping the silence.
Above the park lights, a surveillance camera clicked, as if it had short-circuited.
A shadow abruptly appeared behind Bai Lianyi, seemingly having observed everything in silence.
"Okay, I have successfully aroused a sense of grievance in his heart... now is the time for you to approach him, use Fang Xing as a contrast, offer him an investment, and he will surely accept."
Bai Lianyi's voice was cool, akin to a snow lotus from the Heavenly Mountains.
"Hmm, by doing this, we gain another partner. Once he witnesses those great things, he will surely agree."
The shadow spoke with a deep and sonorous voice, "But more than that, I am more hopeful about his classmate."
Bai Lianyi frowned slightly, "Xia Long is more focused on Fang Xing, and he has been reclusive lately, not even working anymore. I've thrown out a few lures through Liu Wei, but he didn't bite. It's strange, could it be that he was too frightened by the envoy's visit last time?"
"It's a possibility... The Spiritual Shock brought by an envoy can subtly and completely change a person."
The shadow fell silent for a moment before answering, "If that's the case, then he's useless, and there's no value... The talent we need must at least pass the college entrance exam to have a chance to reach the Federation's higher echelons!"
"But such things... might require a long, long wait..."
Bai Lianyi sighed.
Nowadays, the Federation's population had a long average lifespan, especially the higher-ups.
Martial Arts was the cheapest pathway to evolution, but beyond the Fourth Realm, it could greatly extend one's life.
Self-evolution, genetic surgery, medicine, special abilities... various longevity methods kept the ruling of the Federation's elite protracted.
"Hehe... For those great beings, time is completely meaningless!"
The shadow's voice grew softer and finally disappeared...