The Phantom Cat took the opportunity to break free from her embrace, leaping lightly to the ground and elegantly shaking out its fur.
Liu Yi reached out and plucked a leaf from Baili Jinxuan’s hair. “Did you go rolling around in the jungle or something?”
“Oh, that’s not important!” Baili Jinxuan grabbed Liu Yi’s wrist, her eyes shining with incredible brightness. “Look what I found!”
She mysteriously unfolded the paper in her hand. Only then did Liu Yi realize it was a map of the Secret Realm, marked with several eye-catching red circles.
“This is...”
Wasn't this the resource point annotated map that she hadn't bothered to redeem after she started focusing on duels?
“The locations of the Secret Realm’s hidden resource points!” Baili Jinxuan lowered her voice.
Liu Yi studied the map carefully and noticed that one of the red circles was right near the Southwest District.
She looked up at Baili Jinxuan. “So, these past few days you’ve been...”
“Gathering resources and scouting, of course!” Baili Jinxuan tilted her chin up proudly. “Did you think I was like the rest of you, only knowing how to fight for points? True powerhouses win through resource accumulation!”
“Phantom!”
The Phantom Cat let out a timely cry in agreement.
The corners of Liu Yi’s mouth curled up slightly. “Then why aren't you first on the leaderboard?”
Baili Jinxuan stammered, “That... well...”
Liu Yi continued, “Since you’ve already discovered the hidden resource points, why didn't you just collect them to get the points?”
“Ahem...” Baili Jinxuan looked up at the sky. “Well, you see...”
Before Baili Jinxuan could finish, a series of gasps and exclamations suddenly erupted from the direction of the supply station.
Both girls turned their heads at the same time. It was Ji Xiaoyao, leading her pet, a Juvenile Rock Dragon, slowly toward them.
The entrance of the supply station immediately exploded into a frenzy.
“Look! Ji Xiaoyao is here!”
“Heavens, the two of them actually met!”
“Now this is going to be good...”
Several participants who had been defeated by both girls whispered excitedly among themselves.
“I knew they’d run into each other eventually!”
“Do you think they’ll fight?”
“If they do, Ji Xiaoyao will definitely win! Her pet is a Juvenile Rock Dragon—a Dragon-type! Everyone knows how powerful Dragon-types are!”
“Not necessarily. Ice-types counter Dragon-types,” a girl with a ponytail chimed in. “And Liu Yi’s command ability is incredibly strong.”
At the supply station window, two volunteers also poked their heads out.
“Whoa, those two monsters have finally crossed paths.”
“If both of them join our academy, Qinglan might actually have a shot at taking first place.”
Ji Xiaoyao stopped about two meters away from the pair.
“Rock!”
The Juvenile Rock Dragon let out a low growl, its scales shimmering with a rock-like luster.
Baili Jinxuan instinctively hugged her Phantom Cat tighter, whispering, “Liu Yi, is she here to challenge you?”
Liu Yi’s expression remained unchanged. Her gaze moved from Ji Xiaoyao’s frayed cuffs and faded sneakers to the Juvenile Rock Dragon.
Juvenile Rock Dragon, a Dragon and Rock-type. Its racial potential reached the Saint rank.
This wasn't a pet one could buy simply with the subsidy provided to the top-certified student from a low-income family.
It seemed her old classmate had found her own opportunities.
Ji Xiaoyao pursed her lips and looked at her. “Liu Yi.”
“Yes, Ji Xiaoyao,” Liu Yi replied.
Ji Xiaoyao’s right hand, hanging at her side, fidgeted slightly. “Are you applying to the Qinglan Advanced Beast Taming Academy?”
Liu Yi shook her head. “I’m not applying to Qinglan.”
Ji Xiaoyao paused. “...I want the first place on this Secret Realm points leaderboard.”
“Sure,” Liu Yi said.
“...” Ji Xiaoyao hesitated before repeating herself. “I said, I want the first place on this Secret Realm points leaderboard.”
“I heard you,” Liu Yi replied. “And I said sure.”
Ji Xiaoyao’s brow furrowed slightly, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edge of her Points Detector.
Clearly, this was the outcome that benefited her the most, and she had mentally prepared herself before speaking.
Yet, when Liu Yi agreed so readily, she felt a strange sense of loss.
Seeing Ji Xiaoyao’s reaction, Liu Yi smiled. “Don’t overthink it. Since I’m not going to Qinglan anyway, the top spot on this leaderboard doesn't really matter to me.”
“So, feel free to take advantage of your old classmate’s ‘sympathy.’”
Ji Xiaoyao’s voice was a bit dry. “Thank you. The reward for first place at Qinglan is very important to me.”
Liu Yi suddenly asked, “Are you participating in the Longwu High School Entrance Tournament?”
Ji Xiaoyao blinked, startled. “If I get first place in the Secret Realm, I probably won’t.”
Liu Yi nodded thoughtfully. “Alright. Then I’ll see you at the National High School League.”
“Right. Definitely.” Ji Xiaoyao took a deep breath, turned to leave, and said to her Juvenile Rock Dragon, “Let’s keep going.”
Ji Xiaoyao understood. Perhaps becoming a powerful rival for Liu Yi at the National High School League would be the best way to show her gratitude.
After Ji Xiaoyao left, the crowd at the supply station entrance let out sighs of disappointment.
“They didn't even fight...”
Baili Jinxuan stared wide-eyed at Ji Xiaoyao’s departing back, then turned to Liu Yi. “Just like that?”
Liu Yi shrugged. “What else did you expect?”
“But... but...” Baili Jinxuan stomped her feet in frustration. “You two are the top two on the leaderboard! I thought there’d be a battle of the century!”
Liu Yi looked at her with amusement. “You really wanted to see us fight that badly?”
“Of course!” Baili Jinxuan waved her arms excitedly. “The legendary powerful Dragon-type versus the Ice-type that counters it—what a brilliant matchup!”
“And you two just... decided who gets first place just like that?”
Liu Yi replied, “Yeah, why not? Is there a third person who can decide who gets first?”
Baili Jinxuan was speechless for a moment. “...Then what was the point of you challenging everyone so crazily these past few days?”
Liu Yi said matter-of-factly, “To increase the combat experience for Ziyue and me. Isn't actual combat the best form of training?”
“Bing bing.”
Ziyue nodded and let out a cry of agreement.
Fine, two training-obsessed brains. Baili Jinxuan shook her head.
“Phantom.”
The Phantom Cat also helplessly facepawed.
Liu Yi’s gaze fell on the map in Baili Jinxuan’s hand. “More importantly, I’m more interested in the hidden resource points you found.”
Baili Jinxuan’s eyes lit up. “Right, right! That’s the main point!”
Liu Yi raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing the reason someone spent six days gathering intel and finding several hidden resource points but hasn't collected them yet is because...”
“There are guardian beasts there, right?”
Liu Yi said with certainty, “And they’re probably Intermediate stage guardian beasts. Am I right?”
Rate on N.U.
