Chapter 44: Shadows

Chapter 44: Shadows

Xu Qingran was somewhat surprised by what Lin Qianmu said, but not entirely unexpected.

After all, from the first day he met Feng Wei, he never considered him a good person.

Xu Qingran thought he was pretty good at reading people. If something felt off at first glance, there was definitely something wrong.

After thinking for a moment, it suddenly clicked: "So, that's why you had it out for me before?"

"Because I was close to him and we seemed to get along, you thought I was just like him?"

Was Feng Wei even in the same league?

Lin Qianmu's cheeks turned red, and after a moment of hesitation, he looked down and apologized: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have judged you based on someone else."

Xu Qingran looked at him and suddenly laughed: "I haven't cut ties with him yet. What made you change your mind?"

Lin Qianmu answered sincerely: "Your soul and spirit have stabilized into a D-type. Since you're a D-type, you're probably a gentle person. I think you might not really get Feng Wei, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you because of him."

"Plus, now that you're a D-type, I should warn you to be careful."

The reason Lin Qianmu knew so much about Feng Wei's personality was that he had once been one of Feng Wei's victims.

Back in middle school, he and Feng Wei went to the same school.

They ended up sitting next to each other at the opening ceremony, and after talking for a while, they got to know each other's backgrounds. With so much in common, they became friends.

At first, like most people, Lin Qianmu's soul type was still unknown.

Then, in his first year of high school, he suddenly became the only D-type in the school. Suddenly, he was the most popular kid in school, with everyone from classmates to teachers fawning over him. Even Feng Wei got closer to him and started chasing off anyone who tried to bother him.

Lin Qianmu initially thought Feng Wei was looking out for him because they were friends.

But over time, he noticed fewer and fewer people were willing to get close to him or be his friend. Classmates started avoiding him, and his old friends either vanished or transferred out.

It wasn't until his second year of high school that his high compatibility with Su Wenming was announced.

The Su and Lin families had been close for years, and he'd grown up playing with Su Wenming. Both families were thrilled with the news. But not long after, he suddenly encountered an accident and was kidnapped.

Not only had his combat ability significantly declined after his soul stabilized, but the person who kidnapped him also had a higher spiritual pool level than him. He couldn't defeat the other party and was almost forced into a soul contract.

Fortunately, the Su family, being a military and police family, acted efficiently and found him soon after receiving the news.

The Su family investigated the matter thoroughly and eventually traced it back to Feng Wei.

Feng Wei's room was filled with photos of Lin Qianmu from the past two years, along with photos of other D-types from the empire.

Clearly, his obsession with D-types had reached an extreme level.

When caught, Feng Wei calmly admitted everything and claimed that he was the one closest to Lin Qianmu, even fantasizing that they were already together. Lin Qianmu also learned from him that those who had been good friends with him before, as long as they didn't have strong backgrounds, had been driven away by Feng Wei using extreme methods.

Including the class monitor who had been particularly close to both of them, who had even been Feng Wei's friend since elementary school.

When Feng Wei mentioned him, there was only cold mockery in his eyes, without any guilt or nostalgia: "Why did he always bring you up in front of me, praising you? Was he trying to show off how close you two were?"

"I just didn't want to hand in my homework, and he called me out in front of everyone."

"Haha, I think he just wanted to show off in front of you, using his position as class monitor to suppress me. It serves him right to end up in a vegetative state."

Even now, remembering the expression and tone Feng Wei used when saying those words, Lin Qianmu still feels fear and disgust.

He never expected that the person who hurt him would be a 'friend' he had known for many years, nor did he anticipate that beneath the polished facade of his long-time friend lay such rot.

Feng Wei was just a minor at the time.

And his family had connections to the nobility. Even after the incident was exposed, he was only sent to the outermost Tower 5 of the Tower of Evil for juvenile detention. Even the family of the injured class monitor had no choice but to compromise, agreeing to a private settlement in exchange for a chance to save their child's life.

Lin Qianmu was deeply traumatized as a result of this incident and transferred schools.

Now, he has mostly moved on, but he still can't face Feng Wei directly. He finds it even harder to understand how Feng Wei could act as if nothing had happened when they met again in college. Feng Wei even tried to continue their friendship.

Lin Qianmu firmly rejected him, and later Feng Wei shifted his focus to Xu Qingran.

At the time, Xu Qingran had a bad reputation, and seeing the two of them getting along, Lin Qianmu ended up forming a poor impression of Xu Qingran as well. Now, thinking back, Xu Qingran might have been in the same boat as him and that class monitor, unaware of Feng Wei's true nature.

After hearing this, Xu Qingran asked, "Besides this, does he have any other likes or dislikes?"

Lin Qianmu pondered for a while before hesitantly saying, "It's hard to say. What he showed us wasn't his true self."

"However, I feel he has a strong aversion to E-types. Maybe because E-types are the best match for D-types, so it makes sense when you think about it."

Got it.

Xu Qingran thought to himself.

"So you must be careful," Lin Qianmu warned again.

Xu Qingran snapped back to reality, smiled, and asked, "Careful about what?"

"About not using too much force when handling him?"

"Alright, thanks for the reminder. I'll try not to kill him," he said nonchalantly.

Lin Qianmu was stunned. He wondered what kind of crazy talk Xu Qingran was spouting. Did he even realize he was just an S-level D-type now?

Just as he was about to continue advising, Xu Qingran had already hauled his luggage and walked a considerable distance with brisk steps.

Lin Qianmu could only silently lower his slightly raised hand and make his way to his dorm.

Sighing, it's really worrying.

·

A few days before classes officially started, Xu Qingran bumped into a few acquaintances on campus.

First was Ni Xiaoyuan. Her reaction was the most typical, just sighing, "My girlfriends and I had a popcorn betting pool guessing your soul type, and we all lost! Not a single one guessed right!"

"By the way, over the break, my dad asked how things were going with you and when we could invite you over for dinner again."

Xu Qingran thought for a second before seriously saying, "As long as it's not a blind date, I'm fine with it."

Ni Xiaoyuan burst into laughter, "Of course not! You're taken now, and we can't afford to offend the Shen family, right?!"

"Besides, I think D-types are better suited as sisters, not partners!"

Later, he ran into Ji Huaixiu during a meal.

Ji Huaixiu still sported his signature blue hair, but his attitude had changed drastically since last semester. He no longer acted like a sworn enemy and even joined him at his table in the cafeteria.

Xu Qingran glanced up and noticed the kid pursing his lips, his fingers gripping the tray so tightly they turned pale. "Let’s eat together," he said.

Before Xu Qingran could reply, Ji Huaixiu added, "You’re welcome to come over for a meal too."

Xu Qingran: "Huh?"

He was relieved he’d just swallowed his food; otherwise, he might’ve choked. Besides, he’d never mentioned wanting to eat at Ji Huaixiu’s place.

Later, Xu Qingran bumped into Ling Yuege.

Being an E-type, he’d heard plenty about her stellar academic record last semester. Before classes began, he asked if she wanted to spar.

But Ling Yuege turned him down.

She was as aloof as ever, but her words held a strangely gentle tone: "Your current soul type isn’t a good fit."

Xu Qingran: "..."

It felt like being labeled a D-type had suddenly turned him into Lin Daiyu—fragile and delicate—in everyone’s eyes.

The new project course kicked off training right away.

It focused on combat training in water and air.

They sparred in different environments, learning to adapt their skills accordingly.

Unlike last semester, when his classmates went from ignoring him to praising him, they’d changed their attitude again this term.

At the start of training—

"Xu, this watercraft is pretty dangerous. Be careful when using it."

"Ugh, the instructors are ruthless! They’re already spawning alien creatures in the water after just two days. I’m really worried about Xu."

"Right?! What if something happens to our precious eldest son?!"

But after the first evaluation, the instructor sighed: "Only Xu has mastered driving, attacking, and defending all at once! And he’s an S-class D-type! Aren’t you all embarrassed?!"

During team cooperation—

"We’ll take the mission to approach the trial aliens! We’re 3S and double-S players—our spiritual pressure is way higher than Xu’s!"

"Got it! We’ll handle the bait!"

"We’ll handle long-range! Xu... just hang back as our backup. We’ll make sure you go home without a scratch!"

But then a massive water beast swung its tail, wiping out the entire team.

In the end, Xu Qingran single-handedly took down the mid-to-high-tier aquatic beast with his close-combat spiritual blade. He even followed the instructor’s instructions, using the water props and floating boards flawlessly, with perfect balance.

Even instructors and students from other fields came to watch. When it was over, he got a round of applause, and the instructor tearfully exclaimed: "This is it! This is how I imagined you all fighting!"

During one-on-one PK training—

The classmate randomly assigned as Xu Qingran's opponent in the same group immediately showed extra care and politeness: "Hello, Xu Qingran, my name is XXX, and I'm your first PK opponent."

"Although I'm a double S, this match doesn't involve the use of spiritual weapons, so I'll be mindful of my strength and try to go easy on you—ugh!"

Before the classmate could finish their gentle and kind opening remarks, Xu Qingran, who had little patience for such formalities, struck first.

In just a few moves, he had the opponent flat on the ground.

From then on, from the moment he stepped onto the water combat arena, he never left.

Only his group members kept getting knocked out and replaced.

Meanwhile, Ni Xiaoyuan was still locked in a battle of wits with her fellow 3S group members, while Xu Qingran had already become the first in the class to take down all his opponents and come out on top.

The group members who got knocked out were completely devastated.

Damn, Xu really didn’t pull any punches!

At this point, the students in the same class group fully understood.

Other D-types are just D-types, but Xu Qingran’s D-type is in a league of its own.

Damn, he’s a total beast!

He could wipe out an entire team single-handedly—how could he possibly be the fragile D-type who needed extra care?!

All that concern at the start of the semester was totally wasted!!

"Since Big Bro returned after solidifying his type, he's been quite popular among the classmates."

Xu Qingran, who had just finished training, was drinking water when a snarky voice piped up from beside him.

He paused for a moment but didn’t bother to reply. The person, as usual, continued to ramble: "You’re really fitting in with everyone now."

"Boo-hoo, when Big Bro gets more friends, are you gonna ditch this old pal of yours?" Feng Wei put on a crying face, pitifully asking him, as naturally as if it were a joke between friends.

Xu Qingran put down the water bottle and tightened the cap.

He replied coolly, "Is that so? I think I’m the same with everyone as I’ve always been."

After saying that, he left without looking back, heading toward the dormitory.

·

Training and classes were in full swing, and before they knew it, another month had flown by.

Xu Qingran aced the new semester’s project assessments once again.

Now, no one underestimated him as a D-type anymore. In fact, they felt that after returning from training in Linglong City, his combat skills had leveled up big time. Even the instructors, who’d only paid him extra attention because of orders from above, now genuinely liked and respected him as a top student.

Life at the military academy was going pretty smoothly.

That night.

Xu Qingran had just stepped out of the shower and was about to dry off when the lights in the villa suddenly cut out.

The room was instantly pitch black, so dark he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.

However, just three seconds later, two rows of faint blue-white emergency lights lit up along the corridor and the ceiling.

These were the villa's built-in emergency lights, powered by the house's stored energy.

Xu Qingran tossed aside the towel he'd been using to dry his hair and, without rushing, walked slowly to the window, pulling back the curtain to check the situation outside.

The surrounding villas, as well as all the streetlights in the housing area, were completely out.

If nothing unexpected happened, the military academy base should now be in complete darkness.

Faintly, he saw lights resembling flashlights moving around the surrounding housing area.

Upon closer look, he confirmed they were special students or seniors like him, probably curious and eager to check things out. From the staff housing area, a few instructors hurriedly ran out, not even having time to change their clothes properly, heading straight toward the main building of the base.

Outside, everything seemed quite calm.

Nothing unusual seemed to be happening, and there was no sense of anyone lying in ambush.

Not wanting to waste power, Xu Qingran turned off the emergency lights too.

The system asked him, "Host, aren't you afraid of the dark?"

Xu Qingran, who had endured years of apocalypse with shortages of electricity, wifi, and light, replied, "?"

"Oh, I get it, you're scared, huh?"

"...What's a system got to fear from the dark?"

In any case, based on the current situation, it could be summarized simply: the military academy base had experienced a temporary power outage.

The exact reason was unknown.

The night passed quietly.

But Xu Qingran couldn't sleep well in such conditions, so he stayed on the living room sofa till dawn.

In the morning, the power was finally restored, and the academy issued a notice explaining the temporary power outage from the previous night.

It was said that an important power supply area on Azure Star had another issue and was being urgently fixed.

They also warned that similar situations might happen often during this time, advising students to stay calm and be prepared. As for the cause of the incident, the academy likely chose not to explain in detail to avoid causing panic.

But most folks at school could guess the truth.

"It must be related to those devils again," Ni Xiaoyuan said in the cafeteria, grabbing a deliciously baked cream bread and taking a big bite.

Then, with her mouth full, she added, "A while back, Silver Dragon and Golden Wing were competing for results, clearing several disaster zones. They probably couldn't handle it anymore, right?"

At the long metal table, along with Ni Xiaoyuan and Xu Qingran, Zhang Zhihe and a few other ex-roommates were there too.

Including the cold-tempered and irritable Ji Huaixiu, who now behaved quite meekly in front of Xu Qingran. Though he still rarely interacted with others, preferring to listen to music and stay in his own world, when he did meet them, he'd quietly sit at the same table.

No particular reason; he mainly wanted to stay near the D-type, as it slightly soothed his suppressed nature's irritation.

"However, the fact that Azure Star was attacked is really worrying," said Lin Qianmu, who was sitting next to Xu Qingran.

Since opening up to Xu Qingran, he had felt a sense of guilt and, worried that Xu Qingran might be targeted by Feng Wei, he often took the initiative to seek him out.

Unlike Ji Huaixiu and the other Type E students, Lin Qianmu also believes that Xu Qingran is the classmate who gives him the most sense of security in the entire academy. Therefore, he, who rarely forms deep connections with others, is very willing to hang out with him and Ni Xiaoyuan, among others.

Lin Qianmu worriedly said, "Azure Star is considered the border defense of the Celestial System. If it falls, wouldn't the Celestial System also become a disaster-stricken galaxy?"

Xu Qingran was probably the calmest at the table.

He ate his meal with an air of nonchalance, only adding when everyone quieted down, "What's to worry about?"

His tone was calm yet confident: "If they come, just drive them away, right?"

A moment of silence fell over the group.

Finally, Ni Xiaoyuan burst out laughing: "The eldest son has a simple and logical way of thinking!"

"Indeed, not to mention the many powerful armies defending the other continents of Azure Star, even if those demons really attack the academy base, are we afraid of them with so many of us here? If they dare to come, let them know that I'm not someone to mess with!"

Ren Ping and others also nodded in agreement: "Exactly! And recently, our students even handled Linglong City's affairs smoothly, so we're not afraid of those devils!"

Zhang Zhihe elbowed him, correcting: "Devils!"

The cafeteria buzzed with a harmonious atmosphere.

At the entrance, Feng Wei stood silently, expressionlessly watching all this.

The plastic bottle in his hand was crumpled.

It's so annoying.

Why is it that every time he fancies a Type D, they're always surrounded by so many pests?

Feng Wei never had a good impression of Xu Qingran.

On the contrary, when he first enrolled, he even despised him.

Xu Qingran shines like a beacon; his presence alone draws attention.

Whether it's his excellent performance in the entrance exams or the big scandals surrounding him, it's all so envy-inducing and overwhelming. Feng Wei often felt that the confidence in his eyes was glaring, and he even wanted to destroy his pride.

—He's just a kid from a modest family with some money.

Then, luckily, he got connected with the Shen family and received a special invitee spot. He didn't even have this invitation letter.

Most importantly, he expected himself to become a Type E and also thought Xu Qingran would become another Type E, so his impression of Xu Qingran worsened. His initial approach wasn't genuinely aimed at making friends; he just wanted to lower his guard, making it easier for him to act.

All the mishaps Xu Qingran faced during last semester's exams were orchestrated by him.

Feng Wei wasn't worried at all about being discovered after investigations; his identity and background were there, and there were 'his people' under his mother's command in the academy. He could easily pressure others into becoming scapegoats for him.

After all, power and money are the ultimate tools in this world.

Feng Wei narrowed his eyes in thought.

He never expected his 'good friend' to turn out to be a Type D.

In that case, he no longer dislikes him.

Feng Wei lingered outside the door for a moment before quietly slipping away.

But as he turned to leave, the brown-haired boy, previously engrossed in his meal, suddenly glanced towards his former spot. As he looked away, a meaningful smile crossed his face.

Ni Xiaoyuan heard him and asked, "What’s so funny?"

Xu Qingran: "Oh, nothing. Just thought of someone."

Without thinking, Ni Xiaoyuan blurted out, "Oh, General Shen Tingyu, huh?"

"...?" Xu Qingran was puzzled. "What’s he got to do with it?"

"Ah, I just think you two are really close! And those P family pastries you gave us—didn’t he buy them for you?"

Xu Qingran calmly fabricated, "Nah, our relationship’s awful. We fight all the time."

"Just the other day, I broke his TV."

"..."

·

In the new semester, Xu Qingran kept up his habit of extra training.

If the program included the training ground, he’d stay there late into the night. Otherwise, he’d go for morning or night runs around the dorms.

During this time, the academy base had occasional power outages.

After the academy’s warning, people stopped panicking and even started getting used to it.

Tonight, Xu Qingran was halfway through his training at the training ground when the base lost power again.

He was the only one left in the dark field, so he packed up and left. The dim path back became even darker without the lights.

Perfect for someone up to no good.

As soon as Xu Qingran thought this, an extremely well-hidden presence unexpectedly appeared behind him.

A familiar scene, a familiar attack.

But this time, Xu Qingran reacted fast, as if he’d expected it, turning around and accurately kicking the attacker's wrist, sending the object he was holding flying.

The attacker was hunched over, bundled in layers and a down jacket. He wore a hat, scarf, and mask, likely to hide his identity.

All that was clear was that it was a man.

A thin object hit the ground with a faint clink.

Xu Qingran glanced at it.

It was a syringe, filled with liquid—clearly meant to harm him.

Xu Qingran’s calm eyes turned sharp at the sight of the needle.

Like a calm day shattered by a winter storm.

The syringe clearly crossed a line, causing a long-unseen murderous intent to rise in his eyes. He seemed to lose control in that moment, striding over to the man who tried to attack him, grabbing his collar and beating him relentlessly.

The man's spiritual pool level was probably between double S and triple S.

But in terms of skill, once Xu Qingran caught him, the chance of breaking free and counterattacking was almost nil. Trying to use spiritual pressure—only to find that Xu Qingran, as a D-type, had spiritual energy comparable to a top S-level, making the intended pressure impossible.

The man in the down jacket soon had blood on his face. His eyes were completely battered, and his nose bridge felt as if it was being torn apart. He wanted to beg for mercy but didn’t even get the chance to speak.

He was being beaten like a punching bag.

Watching the guy writhing on the ground and howling in pain, Xu Qingran picked up the fallen needle and squatted down in front of him again.

The mask and hat were removed, revealing yet another unfamiliar classmate he didn't recognize.

But at this moment, whether active or passive, anyone trying to hurt him deserved to die, no exceptions.

"You wanted a shot so bad? Here you go," he said with a ruthless smile.

After speaking, he jammed the needle straight into the guy's neck, his eyes cold and devoid of any sympathy or pity.

The classmate lying on the ground trembled in fear, and under the influence of the drug-like potion, he soon felt a warm wetness spreading beneath him. He opened his mouth to say something, but could only weakly spit out a mouthful of blood.

Now he was nothing but regret.

He shouldn't have taken the mysterious person's task for money, without any moral boundaries, to harm Xu Qingran, the real 'devil'!

Feng Wei, lurking in the shadows nearby, was shocked by the scene.

...Despite D-types being naturally weaker in fights, why does Xu Qingran seem to be twice as tough as last term?!

While Feng Wei was still horrified by Xu Qingran's abnormal performance, Xu Qingran suddenly turned his head, his icy stare zeroing in on Feng Wei's hiding spot.

This sent a chill down Feng Wei's spine.

A few seconds later, Xu Qingran, who had just finished doling out punishment, made a move, as if preparing to come in his direction.

Feng Wei clenched his fists.

In that short moment, his first thought wasn't about capturing his target anymore, but how to counterattack if discovered.

He held his breath as the area fell deathly silent.

Until a voice interrupted Xu Qingran's steps.

"Xu Qingran?"

The woman's voice cut through the air, cool and crisp, with a slight hint of confusion.

Coincidentally, it was Ling Yuege again.

The tall woman with a short bob cut was unfazed by the brutal scene before her, and immediately understood after a glance: "Another ambush?"

Xu Qingran remained silent, his face dark with anger.

However, his thoughts had successfully calmed down a bit.

Ling Yuege came to the man on the ground who was spitting blood and saliva, squatted down to check his condition, and then said in a flat tone: "It's a conventional sedative, no serious side effects - just knocks you out or leaves you weak."

After speaking, she lowered her head in thought for a moment, and sincerely asked: "Was he trying to roofie you?"

Xu Qingran sneered, with a meaningful look: "Who knows?"

The ambush incident tonight was promptly reported to school authorities after being discovered by Ling Yuege as a witness. The academy first issued a formal apology to Xu Qingran, then held a meeting and decided to get more security drones, making sure even the most remote spots were covered.

Of course, but that's getting ahead of the story.

Xu Qingran headed back to his place alone that night, the matter settled.

The power hadn't been restored yet, and the house was pitch black. He sat on the sofa, slightly hunched over with his head bowed, his clasped hands pressed against his forehead.

Until the system's voice, sounding as if it were frightened, weakly asked, "Host, do you really despise needles?"

Xu Qingran wasn't afraid of needles at all when he was young.

He still remembered how his parents would take him to the hospital for injections, and the doctors would praise him for being brave, showing no fear at all. In contrast, Xu Qingyao would burst into tears at the mere sight of a needle, even before it was inserted.

Now, he wouldn't say he's afraid, but he has an intense aversion and sensitivity to them.

In his previous life, during an ambush, someone injected him with a banned toxic substance. Of course, after the apocalypse, no one cared anymore, and the use of poison became widespread. For those with stronger abilities and better physiques, the effects of toxins were magnified.

They tried to drag him down with them, to weaken his power, to coerce him into cooperating and aiding them.

Xu Qingran naturally refused.

Moreover, he was deeply repulsed and disgusted by such things.

It was a severe, almost pathological hatred. Just the thought of them inside his body made him nauseous.

After killing everyone, he found a quiet, desolate place to endure the drug's torment. But more than the suffering, each episode made him loathe himself intensely, more repulsive than if his body were covered in insects.

To escape this state sooner, he didn't hesitate to make deep cuts on his body, bleeding for days on end.

As if doing so could purge the disgusting substances from his body. Later, he developed an obsessive need for psychological cleanliness. Even though his body no longer reacted to the drugs, he still felt unclean, repeatedly bleeding several times over the course of a year.

Because of this, in the final battle where he was surrounded by the protagonist group, he couldn't fight them off and met his end as fate dictated.

That single moment of carelessness ultimately cast a deep shadow over him.

So he rejects any form of needle injection, even if he knows the substance inside is harmless. He can't shake the fear, imagining that it contains something that wants to harm him again.

After understanding, the system didn't know how to comfort him, so it simply stayed by his side in silence.

Then it joined him in cursing, "Those people really deserve to die!"

Xu Qingran's mental state recovered quite quickly.

After all, everything he faced in his previous life, no matter how tough, he endured alone, so he was accustomed to it. After waking up, the low spirits and frustration from the previous night had all vanished.

However, during the day in class, during group sparring, he 'couldn't resist' Feng Wei's persistent coaxing and was paired with him.

They held weapons and sparred with each other.

Xu Qingran's expression remained indifferent, seemingly emotionless.

But his moves and techniques became increasingly fierce. Feng Wei went from being at ease to being evenly matched, and then began to feel the pressure.

Even though his spiritual pool level was higher than Xu Qingran's, he deeply felt that, under the suppression of spiritual power usage, he truly couldn't win. Perhaps Xu Qingran's level had risen another step compared to the first half of the year. He finally began to feel the pressure that other students usually faced when dealing with him.

Feng Wei, looking at Xu Qingran who was already sweating from exhaustion, chose to stop attacking first and grinned, saying, "Eldest son, I see your stamina is almost depleted, how about we—"

Before he could finish, Xu Qingran's blade suddenly swung towards him with a gust of wind.

Even though he dodged in time, the strong force broke through his defense, leaving a thin red line on his jaw.

At the moment the blade came at him, Feng Wei felt a pressure that only a seasoned killer would have.

His heart even skipped a beat.

When he looked up again, Xu Qingran across from him had already retracted his hand and asked with confusion, "Why'd you stop all of a sudden?"

"It's pretty dangerous to just stop without saying anything," his voice was light, "If I hadn't controlled my strength, you could've lost your head."

Feng Wei snapped out of it and said nonchalantly, "Ah, don't sweat it, that wouldn't happen."

There was a two-level gap in the spiritual pool. Even if Xu Qingran went all out to kill him, he probably couldn't pull it off.

Xu Qingran looked down, wiping the blood off his knife, and didn't respond anymore.

Classes at the academy were still in full swing.

Feng Wei, as usual, was always up in Xu Qingran's space, always had something to say. Xu Qingran had always brushed him off before, so to Feng Wei, his constant brush-offs didn't seem any different.

Instead, it was still proof of their 'good' relationship.

But as the new semester's training projects rolled on, Feng Wei wasn't having such an easy time.

Just like what Xu Qingran went through last semester, his training and assessments were always a mess. Either the gear would suddenly crap out, or he'd run into all sorts of trouble before assessments that left him banged up.

Every time something like this happened, Xu Qingran would sit down and hash it out with him, "I think it's the same guy who tried to stick me with a needle last time."

"You think he's jealous of us being top dogs, so he's gunning for us?"

Feng Wei hesitated, unusually quiet.

Xu Qingran pondered, "I'm thinking it might be Ji Huaixiu or Lin Qianmu."

"After all, they've been acting all buddy-buddy with me this semester, which is weird."

His tone was still casual, just throwing out ideas.

No strong feelings or specific opinions, just tossing it out there.

Even if Feng Wei, with his D-type brain, had once thought about adding Xu Qingran to the suspect list, hearing this, he quickly brushed it off.

After all, Xu Qingran hadn't figured out he was the one pulling the strings that day, and the previous arrangements were so perfect, it was impossible to suspect him.

He was overthinking.

Moreover, with Xu Qingran's explosive temper, if he really knew that he was the one behind the scenes, he would have already taken action to cripple him.

Looking at those who had bullied him, who else could still be as well as him?

·

Time flew, and several more months passed.

Unconsciously, Xu Qingran's class group had reached the second-to-last learning project—the study and application of mechs and combat spacecraft.

For Xu Qingran, this was a completely new knowledge.

So, at the beginning, like other students in the class group, he was a bit stumbling. The academy's combat mech storage was different from the previous training grounds; after training, they were uniformly collected, and no additional training was possible.

Xu Qingran inadvertently expressed this sentiment in a casual chat with classmates.

Feng Wei, who happened to hear this, pulled him aside after class and said, "You want to continue practicing? I can help you."

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You're not an instructor, how can you help?"

Feng Wei smiled mysteriously and pulled out something like a pass card from his pocket, boasting, "Do you even know who I am?"

"Before coming to the academy, my mom gave me this 'universal card.' Except for a few highly restricted areas, I can access almost anywhere in this academy, including training grounds and warehouses."

"It's primarily for emergency situations."

Feng Wei continued, "So, big guy, do you want to practice or not?"

"If you're up for it, sure, but you’ve got to bring me along! I didn’t catch most of what the instructors said, so you’ll have to teach me!"

Xu Qingran glanced at his universal card and said, "Alright."

So that’s how it worked.

So that spray they used on him before—was it taken from the medical center using this card?

And just like that, Xu Qingran brought Feng Wei along and began their daily extra training sessions.

Meanwhile, as mecha-related training began, the large villa where he stayed gained another resident with Shen Tingyu’s arrival.

But since their schedules didn’t overlap, they rarely crossed paths.

By the time Shen Tingyu wrapped up his classes, Xu Qingran was still out there, training hard. By the time Xu Qingran finished training and headed back for a shower, General Shen, always busy, had already turned in for the night. As a special instructor, General Shen had an earlier schedule than Xu Qingran, who was still a student.

For Xu Qingran, the biggest perk of Shen Tingyu’s arrival was never having to worry about missing meals, no matter how late he trained. The considerate Shen Tingyu always left a portion of breakfast or dinner warming for him, making sure he had a hot meal every day.

Before they knew it, Xu Qingran’s project was nearing its assessment phase.

Despite usually grumbling about wanting to rest early after all the extra training, Feng Wei surprised Xu Qingran by inviting him for one last session the day before the assessment.

He even said, "We’ve hit up so many spots this month, and it’s really paid off! So today, I’m taking you to this secret base I found a while back. The terrain and rocks there are ideal for practicing our mecha’s psychic cannons!"

Xu Qingran did not object.

As always, they headed to the mecha storage warehouse to grab their usual training units.

After a month of intense training, both of them had gotten the hang of piloting. They flew through the base’s nearby forests, skirted the strait, and made their way to the secret base Feng Wei had mentioned.

As they flew, Feng Wei’s eyes drifted to the mecha keeping pace beside him.

The year was almost over, and the empire was enormous. After graduation, they had no idea where they’d end up. Xu Qingran was flawless, and whether it was selfish or not, Feng Wei wasn’t about to let someone like him slip away.

Back then, he was too young, and he didn't want a mistake like Lin Qianmu to happen again.

So, sorry, Xu Qingran.

Don't worry, he just hoped that Xu Qingran couldn't graduate and join the military properly, so he could stay by his side forever. What Feng Wei wanted, he would definitely get!

The secret base Feng Wei mentioned was an uninhabited island not far from the mainland of the academy's main base. The island had many natural rocks, making it indeed suitable for intensive training.

The two prepared themselves, slightly adjusted the form of their mechas, and slowly extended the cannon ports.

The glow of psychic energy was gathering at the cannon ports.

Before firing, Feng Wei glanced at Xu Qingran again, only to find that he was also looking at him.

The breathtakingly handsome boy suddenly flashed him a dazzling smile, his lips parting slightly as he spoke a single word.

Feng Wei didn't catch what he said, only concerned that after Xu Qingran's mecha exploded, he would need to rescue him in time to save his life.

With these thoughts in mind, the mech he was piloting suddenly let out a deafening roar after firing at the cliff on the island simultaneously with Xu Qingran's mech. An explosive burst of flames flashed a bright orange-red in his wide, shocked eyes, and in the next second, searing pain ripped through his body.

In the dark night, a fiery explosion with billowing smoke erupted in the sky above the uninhabited island far from the academy's base.

The mech disintegrated mid-air, and its fragments clattered loudly as they fell onto the rock-strewn sand of the island.

Blood trickled down Feng Wei's forehead from the impact, and the shockwave from the mech's explosion left his ears ringing. Having fallen hard from a great height, he was crushed beneath a massive chunk of mech debris, and it took him a long time to gradually come to.

His hazy vision slowly sharpened.

The pain in his right hand finally registered in his mind. He instinctively glanced at it, only to be horrified by the gruesome sight.

His hand!

His once whole arm was now half obliterated, with only a stump remaining, bleeding profusely.

He also saw another mech that had safely landed not far away after firing its spiritual energy cannon. A tall figure emerged from it, strolling casually, step by step, stopping in front of him.

Xu Qingran betrayed no hint of surprise on his face, looking down at him with a faint, almost mocking smile, saying, "Feng, you really should’ve been more careful."

His tone was as casually indifferent as ever, as if he had anticipated all of this.

Feng Wei's mind spiraled into chaos at this moment.

Why?! It was supposed to be—

In his shock, Feng Wei remembered what Xu Qingran had said to him before the incident.

After a moment of stunned silence, his unfocused gaze suddenly sharpened as he finally pieced together Xu Qingran's words.

He’d said—

"Boom."