"How did the military training go this time?"
A man and a cat sat in a private room of a coffee shop, Lu Zixun, holding a milk tea, asked Xiong Kang.
Shaking his head, Xiong Kang held his phone, "Their combat awareness is too poor, and they lack a sense of teamwork. If they faced the real Insect Clan, their survival rate wouldn’t exceed 10%. They still need more training."
Lu Zixun, who initially thought they did okay, put down his milk tea and curiously looked at Xiong Kang.
"I thought it was not bad, but when it comes to you, it sounds so terrible."
Rolling his eyes at Lu Zixun, Xiong Kang put down his phone annoyed, "You hardly let them train along the way, it was mostly you taking action, while I watched their performance from the shadows, obviously, we saw different things."
Thinking back, Lu Zixun realized it was indeed as Xiong Kang had said and shook his tail embarrassingly.
The sound of knocking arose. After Xiong Kang said come in, a member of the Sto organization walked in with a metal box.
After placing the metal box on the table, the member turned and left.
Peeking into the metal box and pawing at it a couple times, Lu Zixun asked, "What’s this?"
"The Golden Gene Optimization Liquid you wanted, I forgot to bring it when I left."
After replying, Xiong Kang added, "It’s better to take it today, and you can’t take the box with you."
Lu Zixun pouted and gave Xiong Kang a disdainful look, as if he would care about some crummy old box.
Entering the password and opening the metal case, Lu Zixun then saw the Golden Gene Optimization Liquid.
The liquid displayed a light yellow sheen, contained within test tubes.
It made him think of glucose with a different color, but he wondered what it tasted like.
After pocketing the optimization liquid and downing his milk tea, Lu Zixun stood up and belched, "I’m off then."
Before Lu Zixun could take two steps, Xiong Kang reached out and grabbed Lu Zixun by the scruff of his neck.
"Speak up if you have something to say, no need to grab me whenever you like!"
Lu Zixun, now suspended off the ground, looked back at Xiong Kang with dissatisfaction.
Ignoring Lu Zixun’s gaze, Xiong Kang placed him beside himself and changed the subject, "The Gongsun Family festival starts today, right?"
"Yeah, Gongsun Li works at Sto, you should know better than I do."
Lu Zixun looked up at Xiong Kang with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Ahaha, just double-checking."
Xiong Kang rubbed his hands, "It’s just, help a brother out, Xin’er wants to see the festival, and I thought with your status, taking one person along shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
Thinking it was something serious, Lu Zixun looked at Xiong Kang strangely, "I didn’t expect a big, burly guy like Kang Ning to be so whipped. Looks really can be deceiving!"
The frustrated Xiong Kang, about to smack Lu Zixun’s head, watched as Lu Zixun nimbly dodged.
"Can’t you speak decently for once?" Xiong Kang said, glaring at Lu Zixun.
"I have a cat’s mouth."
Correcting him, Lu Zixun continued, "Sure, I’ll just mention it when the time comes. I don’t see what’s so exciting about this festival, anyway. Bye."
Leaving the coffee shop, Lu Zixun returned to Yu Ren High School. After administering the Golden Gene Optimization Liquid to Lin Siyin, he quietly lay beside her, guarding her.
Time kept slipping away, and just when Lu Zixun was feeling dozy and wanted to nap, he felt the room fill with Spiritual Energy.
Upon opening his eyes, he discovered that Lin Siyin had broken through to A-level and immediately got up, invigorated.
He circled around Lin Siyin, round and round.
While Lu Zixun was anxiously scratching his ear, Lin Siyin opened her eyes and looked at him with a gentle smile, "Thank you, Da Ju."
"No need to be polite, we’re all family."
Waving his paw, Lu Zixun spoke with an air of generosity, "Do you feel any discomfort after the breakthrough? Have you developed any new abilities?"
"There’s no feeling of discomfort, only a sense that I’m about to break through to S-level very soon. As for new abilities..."
Lin Siyin thought for a moment and then drew a talisman out of thin air with her hand, "Does this count?"
Watching this, Lu Zixun took a sharp breath in surprise. That was an ability that Wang Duli at S-level could barely use.
Lin Siyin had just broken through to A-level, and she could do it so effortlessly already?
Lin Siyin, seemingly unaware of how strong this ability was, embraced Lu Zixun in her arms and propped her chin on his head.
"After breaking through to A-level, I’ve come to realize just how strong you really are, Da Ju."
With his face turning red from Lin Siyin’s flattery, Lu Zixun gave an embarrassed laugh, "Not really, just a bit stronger than others."
"Hmmph, so when you met me before, you were faking it."
Pinching Lu Zixun’s ear, Lin Siyin raised her eyebrow, "Pretending to be an innocent little kitty to catch the attention of this little fairy."
Hearing this, Lu Zixun was taken aback.
How could she change her demeanor so quickly? His eyes shifting, Lu Zixun nodded slightly, "When I first entered the mortal world and saw such a beautiful fairy for the first time, I couldn’t help myself – truly a fortune."
Even though she chided Lu Zixun with a laugh, the smile on Lin Siyin’s face revealed that she was actually very pleased.
"The more you flatter, the more you receive."
Thinking of that phrase popular online, Lu Zixun couldn’t help but chuckle.
At night, the personnel of the Gongsun Family arrived at Yu Ren High School.
Since Lin Siyin couldn’t get out of evening self-study, she repeatedly urged Lu Zixun to come back early before she let him leave with the people from the Gongsun Family.
"The ceremony, the sacrifice to Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, the three elements, is the foundation of our Gongsun Family, and ’Yuan’ also symbolizes ’Spiritual Energy’..."
Listening to the Great Elder of the Gongsun Family drone on and on, Lu Zixun sitting beside Gongsun Li felt drowsy.
What was he even here for? Surely not for a lesson.
"The ceremony, begin!"
As soon as the Great Elder’s voice faded, a dazzling light burst forth from the statue in front of Gongsun Li, and a rich stream of Spiritual Energy entered his body.
Like a lion woken from its sleep, Lu Zixun’s eyes snapped open, ready to interrupt the flow of Spiritual Energy.
But upon realizing that it was beneficial and harmless to Gongsun Li, he slowly withdrew his Spiritual Energy.
The aura around Gongsun Li was climbing continuously; as it went from C-level to A-level without stopping, a voice sliced through the sky.
"Ye Changming, bringing the relics of an old friend, has come to attend the grand ceremony of the Gongsun Family!"
In a change from his previous attire,
Ye Changming, dressed in solemn black clothes and carrying a box, slowly walked into the venue.