Chapter 115

Chapter 115: Yu Ruan Ruan Discovers the Little Hamster!

Meanwhile, entirely unaware that she had been set up, Yu Ruan Ruan was accepting challenges from visiting disciples one after another. At first, every time she won she felt quite pleased with herself. She picked the weakest challengers to spar with, but as time went on, those who came forward grew stronger and stronger. If not for the System revealing each opponent’s weakness in advance, she would already have been hard pressed to hold out.

At last, after defeating the seventh disciple, Yu Ruan Ruan no longer wished to be challenged. The others still waiting in line refused to let her go. They spoke over one another in tones of earnest concern: “Junior sister must be tired, right? No problem, just regulate your breathing here.” “If you are short on Spirit Gathering Pills, I can give you mine.” “I also have healing pills. I guarantee junior sister will not be hurt.”

Unable to shake them off, Yu Ruan Ruan had no choice but to use her identity token to notify Feng Lin and the others.

A short while later, Feng Lin arrived first. The instant Yu Ruan Ruan saw him, a sheen of tears rimmed her eyes, and she looked aggrieved as if she had suffered a great injustice: “Big Senior Brother, you are finally here.”

Feng Lin’s gaze softened when it fell on Yu Ruan Ruan, but when he turned to sweep the surrounding disciples from other sects, his expression went cold. He barked a single word: “Scram.” A wave of pressure burst from him, the oppressive aura of a Golden Core Stage cultivator forcing the Foundation Establishment disciples present to struggle for breath. A few even went weak at the knees and collapsed to the ground.

Qin Yuan arrived a beat later. Taking in the scene, he transmitted a quiet message to Feng Lin to withdraw the pressure, then stepped to Yu Ruan Ruan’s side and spoke in a tone that sounded mild yet carried weight: “Everyone, the grand tournament has not begun. Friendly exchanges are fine, but if someone were to get injured and affect the competition itself, I trust you understand how serious that would be.”

Shocked by Feng Lin’s display, the crowd simmered with a flash of anger afterward. In their hearts they thought the Heaven’s Evolution Sect’s Golden Core disciple rude and shameless, relying on his realm to bully them. Did he think only Heaven’s Evolution Sect had Golden Core disciples? For the moment, though, none dared speak out. They could only take the step that Qin Yuan had provided, nod along, and disperse one by one.

Once they were gone, Yu Ruan Ruan let out a breath of relief: “Big Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, I am glad you came.”

“Ruan Ruan, why were they bullying you like this?” Feng Lin asked, a glint of chill in his eyes, although his tone toward Yu Ruan Ruan was gentle.

“I do not know either, maybe they were here to spar,” she said, not lying about that part. “They were so enthusiastic that I felt bad turning them down.”

Qin Yuan reminded her: “Ruan Ruan, just focus on preparing for the tournament. If anything happens, remember to notify your senior brothers in time.”

“Got it, Third Senior Brother,” Yu Ruan Ruan answered sweetly, taking one man’s arm with each hand as Feng Lin and Qin Yuan escorted her back to her residence.

The next day, thinking of how many people had “bullied” Yu Ruan Ruan the previous afternoon, Feng Lin and Qin Yuan came specifically to take her out for a stroll. They reassured her as they walked: “Ruan Ruan, the tournament begins tomorrow. Do not put pressure on yourself.” “Not getting hurt matters more than anything.”

Basking in their concern, Yu Ruan Ruan felt very much indulged. She smiled brightly: “Mm, I will do my best and strive for a good result.”

Cloud Link City bustled with activity thanks to the Grand Sect Tournament. There were all kinds of games and mini-events designed for cultivators, with prizes for the winners. Each time Yu Ruan Ruan sighed, “Wow, that is so pretty, I really want it,” Feng Lin and Qin Yuan would head off to join the event, each trying to take first place so they could present the prize to her.

Just then, a message flashed from the System: [Attention. The heaven-favored one detected earlier is nearby. Find him at once.]

“What? He is here?!” Surprise hit Yu Ruan Ruan so suddenly it felt like a gift dropped from the sky. She hurriedly asked: “Where is he? Can you lock onto him?”

Several seconds ticked by before the System replied: [He is constantly on the move. Find him quickly. You must hurry.]

“All right, just give me a direction and I will go,” Yu Ruan Ruan said, already itching to track the target down. Previously, the System had even lost its composure for a moment because of that person; he must be laden with astonishing fortune. If, during the tournament, she could siphon off even a little of his luck, she might break through to mid Foundation Establishment, perhaps even late Foundation Establishment, which would give her far greater confidence in the matches.

[Rong Shu only took second place,] she reminded herself. [This time I have to take first. I absolutely cannot lose to her.]

Without waiting for Feng Lin and Qin Yuan to finish their events, Yu Ruan Ruan followed the System’s guidance to hunt for the so-called heaven-favored one.

At that very moment, in the courtyard of a dilapidated old residence somewhere in Cloud Link City, a man knelt half-collapsed on the ground in pain. Dark light flickered over him as bulges writhed beneath his skin like living things. One second, scales crawled up his face; the next, his legs twisted out of shape as sharp bone spurs jutted through, his frame swelling several sizes in an instant. His form shifted again and again, neither quite human nor quite beast, radiating a savagery that even ordinary fiends lacked. Ten fingers dug into the dirt; his jaw clenched as if he were enduring agony beyond endurance.

No one knew how long it took before he finally slumped to the ground, the abnormal reactions at last subsiding for the time being. When he had caught his breath and started toward the gate, he stopped abruptly, raising a hand toward his face, then snatching it back like lightning. Lips pressed together, eyes clouded with struggle, he hesitated.

[Too ugly, too frightening. I cannot let anyone see me.]

In the end, instinct drove him to become something harmless: a Little Hamster. He spun in place several times to stabilize his current form, then padded to the door. Poking his tiny head through the gap of the half-ajar gate to make sure no one was outside, he scurried away.

A short while later, a figure appeared at the entrance to that same broken-down dwelling. Yu Ruan Ruan wrinkled her nose at the sight of the shabby house and asked the System: “Are you sure he is here?”

[No.] [He has already run. Chase him, quickly.]

At that, Yu Ruan Ruan drew back the hand she had been about to use to push the door, turned on her heel, and left.