Bai Qiandao suppressed his anger and said, "I will go, but you have been erased from my heart. We can never be friends." "Fine, that's how it is!
I won't be home, leave the key too!" Huang Ru said coldly and hung up. Bai Qiandao gripped the Thousand-Mile Communicator tightly, his face red with anger, trying hard not to curse out loud.
The bell rang again. He answered swiftly and shouted angrily, "Huang Ru, what more do you want?" "Brother, it's me.
Did you guys argue again?" "Little girl... we didn't argue, we...
broke up." Bai Qiandao sighed, it was his sister, Bai Yunni. "It's good that you broke up.
I never liked that woman. She looks at me like there's a nail in her eye, her head held so high her nostrils are practically in the sky." "Little girl, I'm in a bad mood, stop saying such things."
Bai Qiandao said vexedly. "Okay, okay, I won't say it... Brother, scold him for me, he bullied me again."
"Little Jie... did you act like an idiot again?" Bai Qiandao shook his head.
This sister was his only family. She had always been eccentric, often doing strange things that made him clean up her messes. Ever since she married Qu Jie, she would call him to complain whenever she felt wronged, though nine times out of ten, it was her fault.
"I'm not an idiot, he is! You tell me, I married him, but I don't get to enjoy life, and he lectures me every day. Is it easy for me?"
"Alright, tell me! What happened this time?" Bai Qiandao asked impatiently.
"Yesterday I got into a fight with someone, and he didn't back me up, he even scolded me. You see how hard my life is. You must scold him properly, scold him now..."
"You got into a fight? Are you hurt?" Bai Qiandao asked nervously.
"No, I'm very capable, I never lose a fight." Bai Qiandao thought of his frail sister and chuckled. You only have a sharp tongue.
"With whom? Why did you fight?" "A child.
I just saw him eating an ice cream that looked very fragrant and sweet, and I got a craving. I took it and took a bite. That child went berserk on me.
Can I back down? So we started fighting..." "Wait, you snatched...
ate his ice cream? How old was the child?" "About seven or eight years old?
The key is he said I was too embarrassing, and he apologized to the child's parents. Do I need him to apologize! How embarrassing is that!"
Bai Qiandao got a headache and said, "Little girl, stop bothering me. This is really too embarrassing. Qu Jie was too lenient in scolding you."
"You're taking his side again. You're my real brother, are you his real brother too?" "I am your real brother, but I also have to be reasonable...
Alright, I know I can't make you understand. Just take the scolding..." "You're a bad brother, I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Bai Yunni hung up angrily. Bai Qiandao listened to the dial tone and unconsciously rubbed his forehead. This sister gave him a headache, but he truly cared for her and loved her deeply, using half of his earnings from part-time jobs to subsidize her.
This often displeased Huang Ru, and they had argued many times. Perhaps this was also a reason why she betrayed him and got involved with that rich man! In the past, although they argued, he would eventually apologize, and Huang Ru would accept.
At least he thought they loved each other. Now he realized that reality was a fierce slap, completely leaving him heartbroken. "Does love truly exist in this world?"
he asked a man beside him resentfully, wanting to vent. The man smiled at him, turned his Thousand-Mile Communicator towards him, and said, "Ask my fans! They will answer you enthusiastically, but you must be prepared for some ruthless blows."
Bai Qiandao stood up and walked away. He didn't want more people to see his dejection and sadness. He already regretted blurting out that question and could only find a corner to lick his wounds in silence.
Although the Imperial Capital was vast, the Cloud Car traveled quickly. Ten minutes later, dazed, he stood up and walked out. After getting off the Cloud Ladder, he reached the ground-level common district.
The common district also had tall buildings, but they were old, some even hundreds of years old. If not for their good building materials and reasonable structures, they would have long since rotted and collapsed. Even so, several buildings were already precarious.
Clearly, there were far fewer Flying Cars. Most commoners couldn't afford them and had to take cheaper Cloud Cars to get somewhere. The advantage of this was that the sky appeared much cleaner, with more sunlight reaching down.
He arrived at a tall building and walked in. The walls here were stained with countless yellow marks and rust spots everywhere. This was a common sight in the common district, lacking effective maintenance.
However, there were special cleaners who came to clear garbage and sweep the outdoor floors of each level. Taking the Cloud Ladder to the sixty-third floor, he opened a unit and went inside. He surveyed his surroundings, familiar yet distant, and stood in a daze for a while before silently starting to pack his belongings.
He didn't have much, only a few clothes, shoes, and a toothbrush. After packing, he once again fell into a daze. The beautiful life he had once envisioned would be gone with his departure, never to return.
Perhaps they would never see each other again and become strangers forever. Leaving the key behind, he departed heartbroken. He held back tears, unwilling to cry over his sorrow; this was his last shred of dignity.
Carrying his yellowed backpack, he walked for three kilometers to his own home. It was even smaller, but it was his parents' inherited property. He hadn't been back for half a year, and it felt both familiar and strange.
The water and electricity were off, and the gas had long been disconnected. He only had ninety-eight Five Elements Coins on him, and even basic sustenance was hard to afford. He didn't want to go to his sister's place; no matter how down on his luck he was, he wouldn't trouble her.
He worked three part-time jobs tirelessly, giving half to Huang Ru to satisfy her material needs and the other half to subsidize his poor sister and her husband. He hadn't kept much for himself. Suddenly, his text messages started pinging non-stop.
He opened them and read them, leaning back on the worn-out sofa with a dejected expression, his gaze unfocused. Life was truly cruel. He hadn't gone to work for two days, and three bosses simultaneously sent him text messages, firing him.
Now, he had even lost his source of income. The Tuzang Dynasty government had a huge population, and it wasn't easy for commoners to find formal employment. His education was low, and he lacked skills, so he could only work odd jobs to get by.
He worked sixteen hours a day. Perhaps this was why he neglected nurturing his relationship with Huang Ru, which might be one of the reasons she left him. He let out a self-deprecating laugh.
He was finding reasons for his situation here and there, trying to prove that it was his fault that Huang Ru betrayed him. He was subconsciously trying to make excuses for her. The root cause was poverty; he couldn't satisfy her increasing material demands.
Reality was indeed that cruel. In a daze, he thought of the Omni-Personality Grand System. He stared ahead, and with a thought, small grids appeared, labeled with various skill names.
"Alchemy Skill, God of Cookery Skill, Medical Skill, Technology Skill, Traveling the Nine Heavens Skill, Appraisal Skill, Exotic Arts Skill..." There were as many as one hundred categories, and each seemed incredibly useful. He fixated on Exotic Arts Skill, recalling that he now possessed an exotic power and was eager to acquire it.
Legend had it that exotic powers were innate but required the cultivation of exotic arts to truly control demons and monsters. Mystic Masters were already formidable individuals in this era, being extremely rare and highly respected. Spiritual Power Users had formidable strength and could kill certain demons and monsters.
However, skills were specialized. When facing truly bizarre and powerful Spiritual Phantoms, Mystic Masters were needed. Thinking of this, he jumped up excitedly.
Heaven had not treated him unfairly. This might be a turning point in his destiny, and he was about to transform from ordinary to extraordinary. With this, he could gain wealth and status.
Then he remembered the system's rules: the wealth gained from skill knowledge would likely be confiscated. He immediately deflated. A mountain of gold was right before his eyes, yet he couldn't claim it.
Was this a joke? He didn't want to experience the suicidal feeling from three hours ago again, his heart pounding, consciousness chaotic, as if his soul had left his body. In this world, what use was money?
Even Spiritual Power Users and Mystic Masters had to survive! He slumped back onto the sofa dejectedly, staring blankly at the ceiling, his emotions fluctuating, followed by a deep sense of loss. Half an hour later, he forced himself to cheer up.
Regardless of anything, from being as insignificant as an ant, he now had the chance to join the ranks of the strong. His life had changed dramatically and would surely have a different kind of brilliance. He looked at the small grids again.
Each skill was priced at one hundred points. He had an initial two hundred points, enough to acquire two skills. He decided to acquire the Exotic Arts Skill first.
After spending one hundred points, he opened the small grid. Inside, there was a secret manual book, emitting a bronze glow. After a moment's hesitation, he took the book.
Soon, the book vanished into nothingness, and he instantly understood numerous incredible exotic arts. He didn't even need to cultivate them; the mysteries were all clear. Soul Recalling Incantation, Monster Slaying Fury, Hundred Professions Curse, Demon Refining Incantation...
"Damn it, being a Mystic Master isn't simple. It requires cultivation, and each art is extremely complex, even obscure and difficult to comprehend. It's possible one might never grasp its mysteries in a lifetime, yet I've obtained it all effortlessly."
Bai Qiandao was briefly stunned, then trembled with excitement. Without entering this path, he wouldn't know how difficult it was. Although this was akin to cheating, easily deciphering the profound mysteries of a path, he knew that in terms of understanding the profound techniques of this path, he was undoubtedly number one.
He really wanted to show off his abilities now. He wondered if there were any demons in his home and if he could drive them out. He circulated his exotic power, conjuring the Eye-peering.
His irises turned ice blue, emitting layers of ice-shattering rings of light. The surrounding objects immediately changed, appearing as layered illusions, like virtual reality, clear what they were, but his body was in another space. He wandered around his home but found nothing unusual.
It made sense; there weren't many demons hidden in the human world, so they wouldn't easily come to his home. He opened the door and looked outside. There was nothing unusual either.
It seemed there were no Exotic Spirits around his home. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and clung to the doorframe to avoid falling. He quickly dispelled the Eye-peering.
Indeed, exotic power needed to be accompanied by spiritual power. The stronger the spiritual power, the longer it could be sustained. He returned and sat on the sofa, resting for a while.
He gave a wry smile; without spiritual power, he could probably only drive away or kill very weak demons.