"I suppose so. To get you, I lived on instant noodles for a week straight," Duan Chen recalled his gacha luck with a shake of his head.
"What depraved words! This is the greatest insult to a king." Saber roared in anger, her fist smashing forward.
Duan Chen nimbly dodged, curious about the twitching ahoge before him, and reached out to tug it.
To his surprise, this single act utterly enraged Saber. Her body trembled, azure mana blooming between her hands. The 'Sword of Promised Victory' in her grasp transformed into a burning, dazzling light.
"This ahoge symbolizes the King's honor, and no one may touch it!"
Duan Chen's expression turned slightly serious. "Reality is a bit more shocking than the game."
Saber's expression grew solemn. The king who ruled the world raised her anti-city treasure, chanting, "Unending gale, I, in the King's name, command you! Release the power bestowed by the great lake spirits! I shall call thy name with knightly honor, and appear! Excal..."
*Bang!*
Duan Chen's spinning kick landed on Saber's abdomen, abruptly interrupting her chant. The roaring energy dispersed like smoke.
Saber slumped against the wall, a trickle of blood seeping from her lips. Lu Zhai's spiritual energy was too weak; the mana he could provide her was dwindling. She had intended to end this with a single, decisive blow, but...
"Boo hoo, this guy doesn't play by the rules! He didn't even let us finish casting!" Tsukino Usagi wailed from the ground.
Saber's face was ashen. She knew that in the face of such overwhelming power disparity, all struggle was futile.
"Thinking of finding a new Master? I can provide you with an endless supply of mana," Duan Chen smiled faintly at Saber, who merely shot him a cold glare.
"I would rather die than abandon my master."
Saber, unwilling to admit defeat, swung her sword and charged again, only to suddenly shrink, shrink, shrink mid-charge...
She reverted into a static figurine.
The beautiful girls scattered on the ground also reverted. Lu Zhai, utterly drained of energy, lay convulsing on the floor like a desiccated fish.
"Revenge for my wife is irreconcilable! Waaaaah!" Lu Zhai burst into tears.
Qin Ze and Michelle exchanged a glance, knowing it was all over. Who would be the one to deliver the final blow and become Duan Chen's disciple?
Their positions shifted in an instant, and they warily eyed each other, neither making a move.
"Qin Ze, you usually let me have my way, right?" Michelle smiled slightly.
"I'm sorry, Xue'er, but I can't concede on this matter." Qin Ze's gaze was resolute. "I must become Teacher Duan's disciple."
"Hmph! Are you going to attack me with that cleaver in your hand?"
"Of course not!" Qin Ze, sensing he had lost composure, rubbed his nose.
"Don't you think this practical lesson is incredibly valuable? In Teacher Duan's domain, we are free from external interference. We have an opponent of similar strength, and we shouldn't waste this opportunity carelessly."
Michelle's eyes darted. "That makes sense. This is indeed a good chance to grow stronger. We cooperated to win just now, and our victory was hard-fought. Shall we take turns next?"
"Precisely," Qin Ze smiled.
Lu Zhai, still lying on the ground, felt like crying without tears. *Damn it, I'm already this pathetic, and you're still plotting to squeeze out my last bit of value? You're all demons!*
Seeing this, Duan Chen finally showed a faint hint of appreciation.
"Meow meow meow~~" Little Jian Jian happily batted at the beautiful girl figurines on the floor.
"Alright, then I'll let you play a bit longer." Duan Chen took out his phone and opened Timi.
He had actually been waiting for Fatty's outburst. Training the two kids was one thing; stealing Fatty's abilities was another.
One of the conditions for the 'Eye of Stealing Technique' was: one must witness the entire process of an ability being used to be able to replicate and record it.
A cabinet full of figurines represented hundreds, even thousands, of combat powers.
Although most of them were scantily clad and alluring, making them difficult to pass censors, they each possessed unique skills, perfect for dealing with Sea Demon grunts. Those on the level of Saber and Shana-na, if supplied with enough spiritual energy, could even hold off a Black Robed Envoy or two.
Now that he had obtained the 'Magic Mirror's whereabouts and abilities, and they still weren't done playing, he'd let them continue for a while. He could use the time to climb two ranks in the canyon.
Hong Ying cupped her face and leaned closer, her large eyes blinking as she watched, looking thoroughly entertained.
As a result, Duan Chen played four matches and lost all four, ending up as the losing MVP in every game.
Exasperated, Duan Chen clicked on the profile of a teammate named 'Wu Suo Wei' and sent a friend request.
It was fate, really. This 'Wu Suo Wei' had been in all four matches. His avatar was a cat meme, and his name was rather strange. Initially, Duan Chen thought he wanted to play Dian Wei, but he had nothing to do with Dian Wei, and his operational awareness was terrible.
Soon, 'Wu Suo Wei' accepted the friend request.
Wu Suo Wei: ?
One Shot Little Kid: Are you trolling? Do you have a grudge against me?
Wu Suo Wei: Probably not.
One Shot Little Kid: Then why did your Cai Wenji keep sticking to me while the enemy Zhen Ji was spamming projectiles? When my Mark went for his ultimate, you used Nuwa to push everyone away? You were full health when Zhuge Liang tethered you, and you chased me, letting me block his ultimate while I was at low health? I said I wanted to pick a marksman, and you instantly locked Sun Shangxiang, only to end up with 0-22-2??
Four consecutive questions, unable to fully express the frustration within Duan Chen.
Wu Suo Wei: ?
Duan Chen stared at the question mark, his anger flaring. Then, he took a closer look at the username...
A detestable face suddenly flashed in his mind.
Wu Suo Wei, Wu Suo Wei...
One Shot Little Kid: Wu Suo Wei? Are you f*cking playing with me?
Wu Suo Wei: I'm playing the game, not you.
One Shot Little Kid: Damn it! Don't forget your cat is still in my hands.
Wu Suo Wei: ......
Wu Suo Wei: Let's play one more game, I promise to assist you to victory.
One Shot Little Kid: You expect me to believe that?
Duan Chen directly quit the game and uninstalled it.
"Husband, please don't be angry. It's not worth it to make yourself sick."
Little Jian Jian seemed to sense something, shivered, and quickly dropped the figurines to rub against Duan Chen's pant leg, meowing adorably.
By this time, Qin Ze and Michelle's session was nearly complete. They had beaten Lu Zhai black and blue, reducing it to pleading for mercy.
"You've grown a lot stronger, Xue'er."
"Hmph, you're not bad yourself."
Practice trumped theory. The two seemed to have undergone a metamorphosis. The initial timidity was gone from their eyes, and they now understood the vastness of their cultivation path, solidifying their resolve to become Duan Chen's disciples.
Lu Zhai's growth was instrumental. After being used as a punching bag for the entire afternoon, it was now unrecognizable, reverting to its Sea Demon form.
When it came time to deliver the killing blow, the two found themselves somewhat attached to Lu Zhai.
"It's a little hard to kill it now."
"Yeah, it was such a good punching bag."
Lu Zhai, thinking a turning point had arrived, looked at them pitifully, its eyes rolling with helplessness and misery.
"Why don't we attack together, and let Teacher Duan take us both in?"
Qin Ze also had a personal motive. If Michelle could cultivate with him, they would have more time together. Otherwise, after the college entrance examination, they would go their separate ways.
Even if Duan Chen was his love rival, seeing Michelle smile was enough for him.
"Okay, then you go for the neck, and I'll hit the heart?" Michelle's delicate finger traced patterns on Lu Zhai's body. The two casually divided their targets.
Lu Zhai: Demons! You are all demons!!!
The two counted down from three and struck simultaneously.
*Bang—*
*Swish—*
Lu Zhai's eyes widened in shock, then grew still.
The Void Domain dissipated. Duan Chen, with a cat on his head and a large bundle wrapped in a bedsheet slung over his shoulder, slowly emerged from the inner room.
"Congratulations, you have completed the trial."
Duan Chen surveyed them, visibly pleased by their significant growth.
"With your current spiritual energy reserves, you can now be called true Spirit Hunters."
Qin Ze and Michelle's faces lit up with excitement. They glanced at each other, and Qin Ze's ears immediately turned red.
"Huh? Qin Ze, why are your ears red? Are you hurt?" Michelle leaned in curiously. Qin Ze's eyes flashed with panic, and he simply let the blush spread all the way down his neck.
"No, no, it's nothing! Perhaps it's just too hot here." Qin Ze hastily waved his hands and moved away.
"Oh, then, Brother Duan Chen, can you take both of us?" Michelle asked cautiously.