Everyone immediately began talking all at once.
"All right! Shut up!"
Xu Bing gave a low bark. Nearby, the captain walked over. "Did some students run off?"
"You don't need to get so worked up. We don't allow that sort of thing in the Military Department, but as for you—especially students lacking in strength—you deserve praise for fighting beasts, and there's no need to blame anyone for being afraid."
"Can you still fight? Want to come with me for another round?"
"I'm fine. What about you?" Xu Bing glanced at the captain, watching him put on a brave front.
"Who do you take me for?"
Before the captain could finish.
"Instructor Xu, have you guys finished up?"
A voice drifted over from the distance.
The voice arrived before the person did!
Everyone was startled to hear it!
"Wait, is that Ye Qing's voice?!"
"How is this guy back? Didn't he run away?"
"Did his conscience finally get to him, or was he just hiding somewhere the whole time?"
Instantly, everyone began discussing it, though all of them looked indignant as they stared in the direction of the voice!
A moment later, from behind a giant tree, two figures slowly came into view.
It was none other than Ye Qing and Zhou Lingxue.
Everyone looked at them, and then their eyes went wide with shock—they simply couldn't believe what they were seeing!
Even Xu Bing drew in a sharp breath.
The Guard Army soldiers stared too, freezing in place!
What?!
What was that in Ye Qing's hand, being tossed up and down casually?!
"A Tier 4 Beast Core!"
Beside them, the captain couldn't help letting out a low gasp!
"Look at Zhou Lingxue's arms!" exclaimed one of the students nearby!
They all turned to look at Zhou Lingxue. Cradled in her arms were more a dozen cores! Although none of them were quite as huge as the one Ye Qing was tossing around, they were still massive!
Under the reflection of the beast cores, Zhou Lingxue's figure appeared even more breathtaking!
Chapter 9: Ye Qing, Let Me Do a Deep Contract—Let's Get Back Together!
Hiss!
How terrifying is that?
Why?
Why would Ye Qing and Zhou Lingxue have so many beast cores?!
Huh?!
Doubt filled everyone's minds instantly.
Then, from behind them—
They saw the rest of the group!
Dragging the carcasses of the beasts back with them!
"Instructor Xu, we're back!"
"Captain! We made it back alive! The horde of beasts—we wiped them all out!"
"How did it go with you guys? Did you wipe out the beasts on your end too?!"
Xu Bing, the captain, and the others looked at the students and the Guard Army soldiers, then down at the carcasses they were dragging.
They stood frozen in place, silent.
As the group drew closer!
They finally saw it!
They weren't dragging just anything—those were the corpses of a Silver-Backed Giant Ape and other Tier 3 beasts!
What?!
The Silver-Backed Giant Ape was a Tier 4 beast!
And the rest were Tier 3 beasts!
They matched the exact cores Ye Qing and the others were holding!
Doesn't that mean—!
"You guys killed all these beasts?! And look at your casualties!" The captain looked at their numbers, pleasantly surprised.
Their casualties were far lower than what his team had suffered!
"Captain, we owe it all to this little brother here!"
"You have no idea—his Weapon Spirit can transform! It started out as a rusted sword, but later it turned into a divine blade!"
"I've never seen anything so sharp in my life!"
"Hacking through these beasts was like cutting melons and vegetables! It didn't take any effort at all!"
"Every single one of these beasts was killed by this little brother!"
"If it weren't for him and that girl, we probably wouldn't have made it back at all—we'd have left our bones out there!"
.............
As those sentences echoed around her, Zhou Lingxue felt her face flush, the heat spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
Her eyes were brimming with emotion.
After all, she had always been labeled as the F-grade Tetanus Blade.
That label had been like a hateful brand, burned right into her skin.
Today, to finally strip away that label—how could she not be stirred?
She turned to look at Ye Qing, knowing full well that she had only reached this point because of him!
[Resonance increased, Tianxiao Vigorous Qi upgraded to Tier 5!]
Oh?
Resonance increased?
Ye Qing looked at the light screen popping up in front of him.
Well, well, it seemed his relationship with Zhou Lingxue had warmed up another notch.
This Tier 5 was a level he hadn't managed to break through even after working hard three times before!
And now, it had actually broken through!
Some things really did come naturally when the time was right.
Meanwhile, listening to the words of the Guard Army!
It was like a thunderclap striking on flat ground!
It left every single one of them completely dumbfounded, rooted to the spot and unable to snap out of it for a long time!
What does that mean?!
The Tetanus Blade actually turned into a divine sword?
"Tell me clearly what happened!" Xu Bing walked over, staring at the Guard Army soldier.
The soldier then recounted everything, detail by detail.
Listening to the process of the battle, even Xu Bing felt his mind going numb.
Ye Qing!
This guy!
He'd struck gold!
What incredible luck!
Xu Bing had originally thought this kid was just wasting his own strength!
Who would have thought!
In the distance!
Hearing the Guard Army's words, Wang Tingting trembled all over!
It was like taking a heavy blow!
Those few short sentences ground her pride directly into the dust!
Ye Qing and Zhou Lingxue could effortlessly slaughter a Silver-Backed Giant Ape.
While she had been driven out of her transformation by a single Armored Black-maned Boar.
Clenching her fists, she bit her lip.
"All right, Instructor Xu, this isn't a place to linger. A lot of these Guard Army soldiers are injured, and the bloody stench from these beast carcasses might attract other beasts! We should hurry back to the barrier!"
Ye Qing suggested.
"Right, let's head back now!"
A while later.
Entering the barrier.
The school group finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This practical class hadn't been just a formality; they had truly witnessed the terrifying power of high-tier beasts!
Still, the final outcome was good!
They walked along the road, dragging numerous beast carcasses behind them.
The number of turning heads was off the charts.
Quite a few people stared in shock at this procession.
Good lord, so many beast carcasses?
That combat power was no joke!
The students felt a surge of collective pride, puffing out their chests.
Only Wang Tingting and Lü Li trailed at the very end, looking as though they desperately wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.
Back at the school.
After sending everyone off to the infirmary or their dormitories—
"Ye Qing, how are you planning to handle these beast carcasses?"
Ye Qing looked at the corpses. Most of a beast's energy was concentrated in its core; while the meat contained nutrition and energy, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the core!
Besides, what he needed right now were beast cores.
"Instructor Xu, thank you for what happened this morning. Consider these beast carcasses as compensation—please accept them."
"We're going to head back, take a shower, and get some rest!"
With that, Ye Qing grabbed Zhou Lingxue by the hand and pulled her along.
Hearing Ye Qing's words, Zhou Lingxue blushed so deeply it looked like blood might drip from her face. What was this guy saying in broad daylight?!
"We're going to head back and take a shower?!"
This—this was too embarrassing!
"I swear, that kid makes me so jealous." Xu Bing looked at the beast carcasses, his mind utterly baffled. How on earth did an F-grade Tetanus Blade turn into a divine sword?
"Could it be a mutation after a deep contract?"
"Who knows. I'll just trade these carcasses for cores first."
"And go have a word with the headmaster."
A while later.
The Headmaster's Office.
"What?!"
"What did you say?!" Headmaster Li Peng's voice shot up several octaves!
When did this world get so magical?!
Even an F-grade Tetanus Blade could turn into a divine sword?!
Just this morning, he had been secretly regretting that Ye Qing had contracted Zhou Lingxue.
And now Ye Qing had turned around and slapped him hard in the face?!
"Call them over here." Li Peng took a long time to calm down before spitting out those words.
Over in their quarters, Ye Qing and Zhou Lingxue had finished their showers.
Ye Qing was just about to strike while the iron was hot and perform another deep contract to raise their resonance further.
But then.
A voice came from outside.
"Ye Qing, it's Xu Bing. The headmaster wants me to bring you over!"
Ye Qing: "........."
Talk about bad timing!
Muttering to himself, Ye Qing changed clothes with Zhou Lingxue and headed out.
"What took you two so long?"
"Dragging your feet like that."
Seeing that both of them had damp hair, the corner of Xu Bing's mouth twitched. You really do follow through on what you say, huh?
So... is this a bad time for me to be here?
............
Clang!
Inside the Headmaster's Office.
Ye Qing didn't waste any time; he had Zhou Lingxue transform immediately.
An ancient, primordial aura descended instantly.
The pressure, as if it came from the highest heavens, caused everyone present to turn pale.
This!
What kind of weapon was this?!
The woman standing beside Li Peng stared at the blade. She herself possessed a B-grade Weapon Spirit, but in front of this sword, she felt an urge to kowtow and couldn't even raise her head!
It had to be at least S-grade, no doubt about it!
"Alright, alright, Ye Qing, you two can release the transformation state."
Ye Qing gave the command, and the transformation dissolved.
Feeling the oppressive weight vanish, Li Peng let out a long breath of relief.
"It seems Xu Bing was right. This must be a mutation resulting from a deep contract."
"Rare indeed!"
"To think our school has produced such a figure—truly a cause for celebration!"
Li Peng clapped and laughed. After all, an S-grade Weapon Spirit was as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in the school's history.
"If he grows up properly from here on, his limits will be boundless!"
Seizing the moment while Li Peng was in a good mood, Xu Bing chimed in, "Headmaster, they're just students, so they're bound to lack resources. I know that when you called them here specially today, you must have prepared some resources for them. No need to hold back now."
"You two, aren't you going to thank the headmaster?"
"Thank you, Headmaster!"
"Thanks, Headmaster!"
Li Peng: ".........."
Xu Bing, you little mutt!
How does a decent person grow a mouth like that?!
Li Peng fell silent. He didn't actually have a suitable gift on hand, so he walked over to a cabinet nearby, unlocked it, and pulled it open.
Then, a pill appeared in his hand.
"This is a Spirit-Breaking Pill. It can enhance the strength of a Weapon Spirit. It should suit you quite well."
Whoa!
What a lavish gift!
Ye Qing looked at the item.
This thing had to be worth at least a Tier 4 beast core!
"Thank you, Headmaster," Zhou Lingxue said sweetly as she took it.
Seeing this, Ye Qing looked at the headmaster. "Headmaster, what about mine?"
With that, he flashed the exact same smile Xu Bing had worn earlier.
Li Peng: "..........."
Damn it all!
Gritting his teeth.
Li Peng walked over to the other side of the room and pulled out a key.
"I don't have anything else to give you, so take this. It's the key to Dormitory Number 5 in the luxury dorm area."
"There, consider it yours. You can live in it all the way until graduation."
"Holy crap, Headmaster, isn't that supposed to be mine?! Wasn't someone occupying it before? How come it's suddenly available again?!" Xu Bing yelled out on the spot!
Li Peng spread his hands. "Nothing I can do about it. It was occupied before, but they just moved out recently. Besides, why are you getting so excited? You—you wouldn't try to snatch a dorm from your own student, would you?"
"No way. You're not actually thinking of doing that, are you?"
"Hmm?"
Seeing the look on Xu Bing's face, Li Peng felt a surge of secret satisfaction.
That'll teach you to run your mouth all day long. How do you like it now?
Ignoring them, Ye Qing looked at the key.
"Thanks, Headmaster. We'll be heading back then!"
Ye Qing grabbed Zhou Lingxue and walked out.
"This trip was well worth it." Ye Qing looked down at the key.
He led Zhou Lingxue toward the new area.
When they arrived!
Whoa!
This wasn't a dormitory; this was practically a massive villa!
To say nothing else, just the size of this huge courtyard was something ordinary students could only dream of!
"The headmaster really does things in a big way!"
With a grin, Ye Qing pulled Zhou Lingxue inside to move their things over!
By the time they finished moving.
Evening had fallen.
Ye Qing looked at Zhou Lingxue, who had just finished taking the Spirit-Breaking Pill.
She was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, a faint glow radiating from her body.
"Looks like she'll need a bit more time to absorb it."
Ye Qing muttered to himself, then turned his attention to the beast cores.
He took out two Tier 3 beast cores to keep as spares.
Then.
He pressed his hand flat over the remaining pile of cores.
Absorb!
The next moment!
A massive surge of energy materialized within Ye Qing's body!
That energy surged like a roaring torrent!
Racing through his veins!
Charging directly toward his realm barrier!
Thud!
Thud!
The sound of beating war drums actually echoed from within Ye Qing's body!
Boom!
Boom!
A long moment later, after the sound of two barriers shattering echoed out, Ye Qing slowly exhaled a breath and pulled up his personal status panel.
[Name: Ye Qing]
[Spirit Tamer Rank: Tier 3 Late Stage]
[Contracted Weapon Spirit: Xuanyuan Sword (SSS-grade)]
[Ability: SSS-grade Divine Godhead Awakening]
[Skills: God-grade Hunting Skill, Tianxiao Vigorous Qi 5th Tier, Rapid Core Absorption Skill]
Tier 3 Late Stage!
A look of excitement crossed Ye Qing's face as he looked at the stats.
He had skipped two sub-tiers in one go!
At the same time!
Outside Ye Qing's old dormitory, Wang Tingting was standing there!
At the moment, Wang Tingting was wearing a tight JK uniform, white silk stockings cutting into her flesh, and her hands clasped behind her back, giving off the vibe of a sweet next-door neighbor.
She peered inside, but couldn't see any lights.
Where did Ye Qing go?
A moment later, the dorm supervisor for this section walked over.
"Teacher, hasn't Ye Qing come back yet?"
"Him? He moved away!"
"Ah? Moved away? Where to?" Wang Tingting asked urgently, a look of confusion on her face.
"The luxury dorm area, Dormitory Number 5."
With that, the dorm supervisor walked off in the other direction.
The luxury dorm area..........
Musing to herself, Wang Tingting hurried over to find it.
A short while later, she arrived in front of Ye Qing's dormitory. Looking at the massive villa, Wang Tingting felt her mind go numb. These luxury dorms had to be the absolute top tier of student housing!
The monthly rent alone probably cost a Tier 3 or Tier 4 beast core!
Pushing those thoughts aside, Wang Tingting remembered that she had come here for a specific reason today.
Just as she was about to call out for Ye Qing.
The front door opened, and Ye Qing walked out.
Noticing Wang Tingting standing outside, Ye Qing frowned. Huh? Why is this chick here? And dressed up like such a flirtatious tease.
That tight JK uniform, the short pleated skirt, paired with white silk stockings underneath.
"Ye Qing!"
Wang Tingting waved at him, giving a little bounce that caused her chest to heave and sway aggressively.
"What are you doing here?"
"Why are you acting so mean to me? I came here to apologize. I was wrong before, and now I want to make up for it. Let's make a new contract, and this time, we can even do a deep contract."
Wang Tingting bit her lip as she spoke.
"Stop whoring around in front of my villa. Get lost."
Seeing her act, Ye Qing waved a hand dismissively, completely devoid of interest.
"You!"
Wang Tingting clenched her teeth. "From now on, I'll listen to whatever you say! We can even explore more ways to do a deep contract."
"Get lost!"
Wang Tingting: "..........."
Her expression twisted into something ferocious. "Ye Qing, I'm giving you a chance, and you're turning it down? Don't regret this later! Just you wait, you'll—"
Before she could finish throwing out her harsh threat.
She felt the space in front of her blur, and a powerful grip clamped around her throat.
The next second, she felt herself being lifted off the ground.
"Are you threatening me? Have you got a death wish?"
The voice whispered right next to her ear, making her whole body violently tremble!
In that instant, she felt as though she had fallen into the freezing rivers of midwinter, chilled to the absolute bone!
Then, she thought of those bloody beast carcasses from earlier.
Was she going to end up looking like that too?
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying!
With a flick of his wrist, Ye Qing tossed her aside like a piece of trash.
Wang Tingting collapsed onto the ground, clutching her throat and coughing repeatedly. Scrambling to her feet in a panic, she bolted into the distance—though a look of venomous hatred burned deep within her eyes.
"Making me this fired up in the middle of the night."
Muttering to himself, Ye Qing turned back and headed into his room.
Inside, Zhou Lingxue opened her eyes.
Sensing the changes within her body, she beamed with joy.
"Ye Qing, my strength seems to have grown!"
"You probably haven't completely absorbed what the headmaster gave you yet. Once you absorb it all completely, your strength will grow even further."
"Oh, oh."
"Alright, go change your clothes," Ye Qing said.
"Huh? What clothes?"
Zhou Lingxue blinked in confusion.
"What else? The ones I bought you earlier. Pick a set."
"Ah?"
Zhou Lingxue let out a silent wail in her heart. She hadn't even gotten much sleep last night, and now he wasn't going to let her sleep tonight either?
Yet, feeling the overwhelming dominance radiating from Ye Qing, she had no choice but to trudge over.
A moment later...