Chapter 60: Resilience.

Chapter 60: Endurance

Wen Ying pouted, sliding off Beros' body. It seemed that this method of acting coquettish wouldn't work. He hadn't achieved his goal yet, but he already felt disgusted by himself. He needed to think of another plan.

"How can I convince you?"

Beros replied, "Leave right now."

The corners of Wen Ying's mouth drooped as he made a long face. "Can't we negotiate more?"

Beros frowned. "What I mean is, the condition is for you to get lost immediately."

Wen Ying rushed towards the door and waved at him for a second before saying, "Alright, I'll leave right away." He disappeared from Beros' sight in just a few seconds.

Beros: "..." There was no need to be so hasty.

Wen Ying closed the door for Beros, standing at the entrance with a deep sigh. He removed his hand from the doorknob and turned around to glance back. Beros should have just said no from the beginning. It was a waste that he had tried to act coquettish and pleaded for so long.

Wen Ying touched the corner of his eye, reviewing the events. Beros' behavior on the way made him mistakenly believe that Beros would respond to coquettish behavior. Now that he had solved the mystery, it was clear that it was impossible. Beros had always been repelled by weak individuals; how could he possibly enjoy another demon acting coquettish towards him?

If he liked him, he wouldn't have used 'get lost' as a bargaining chip, Wen Ying mused. He felt that understanding Perseus's intentions required a straightforward and forceful mindset, not an indirect approach. It would be best to make him speak clearly.

Forget it, tonight's gains were still considerable. He had obtained many permissions. With light steps, Wen Ying was about to leave when Perseus suddenly opened the door and threw the doll at him.

After Wen Ying caught it, Perseus said, "You forgot this." Then he closed the door.

Holding the doll, Wen Ying: "…" He carried the doll to the neighboring villa.

He had already tidied up and could go straight to sleep. Wen Ying changed his clothes, took a quick shower, and used magic to dust off the doll before going to bed with it. Cleaning in the Demon Realm was very convenient, saving time and effort. A few spells did the trick.

The next day, Wen Ying woke up late. His phone had been bombarded by Lan Jiaying's messages.

"What time are you coming?"

"Are you too scared to come over?"

"Dare you not answer me?"

"Did you hang up without replying?"

Wen Ying, with his messy hair and drowsy, dispirited expression, had been startled awake by Lan Jiaying's early morning messages, sent as early as six or seven o'clock, with the last one coming in around nine. It was nearly ten now.

He replied to Lan Jiaying, informing him that he would visit in the afternoon. Then, at a leisurely pace, he got out of bed to brush his teeth and wash his face. Passing by a window in the villa, he could catch a glimpse of Paros's neighboring mansion. Taking a slow stroll over, he caught sight of Paros working out in one of the rooms, surrounded by various exercise equipment.

So demons also hit the gym, Wen Ying mused, feeling somewhat more alert. Heading downstairs in search of food, Aruda had mentioned there was something available in the villa. Opening the cupboard in the kitchen, Wen Ying found nothing but an array of instant noodles.

Staring at the shelves filled with different flavors of instant noodles, he fell into deep thought. It didn't seem quite appropriate to have noodles for breakfast. He returned upstairs to change clothes and decided to head outside the villa district for brunch.

The atmosphere outside was much quieter than the previous night, with fewer demon vendors setting up their stalls. Guided by the enticing aromas, Wen Ying chose the most appealing scent for his meal. After returning to the villa, he pondered for a moment before heading back to the window. Paros was still in that gym, diligently exercising.

There seemed to be a reason behind his physique. Wen Ying glanced at his own arm, but the thought of getting up early to exercise regularly... Forget it.

After some preparation in the afternoon, he practiced making magic cards. At around two twenty, Wen Ying went to Lan Jiaying's villa, also located on the Flame Mountain. Wen Ying felt that this rare villa on the Flame Mountain was like a magnet for demonic hands.

From afar, one could tell that the villa belonged to Lan Jiaying, for it shimmered with gold, truly resplendent. Wen Ying didn't need to search; he looked straight for the most golden and radiant villa in the distance and headed straight for it.

He even had a statue of himself made from something that resembled gold at the entrance, and on the roof, there was a fierce, miniature black dragon carved, holding a pearl in its mouth.

The marble floor tiles sparkled, and at the entrance, two demonic servants were always present, seemingly functioning as security guards. Upon seeing Wen Ying, they immediately said, "Young Master Wen Ying, His Highness has been waiting for you for a long time."

A demon spoke, while another one led the way to the front door of the villa, opening it for Wen Ying to enter. The interior of the villa was even more dazzling than its exterior, exuding an opulent royal style.

Lan Jiaying sat on the sofa with his hands spread wide on the backrest, adopting an extremely arrogant and domineering posture. A faint smile curved his lips, his eyebrows sharp, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce mirth, making the entire demonic aura highly aggressive.

"You finally arrived. You certainly have airs. Other demons would come early when they visit me, yet you had to be prompted repeatedly," Lan Jiaying's sarcastic tone was strangely melodious, enhancing the peculiar vibe.

"Wen Ying, Your Highness, do you plan to use this pose for the Magic Card product?" Wen Ying asked earnestly, tilting his head.

Lan Jiaying, who was looking down at Wen Ying through his nostrils, replied, "..."

He subtly placed his hands down from the back of the sofa, crossing them and resting his elbows on his knees. "Speak. What do you need my cooperation for?"

"In any pose you prefer, just use your water magic to write a line that you want," Wen Ying explained. "The card design will feature the pose you choose."

Lan Jiaying leaned forward slightly, propping his chin with both hands, showing some interest in his eyes. "Your Mirror Demon race's innate magic is quite intriguing."

As he spoke, he stood up, pondered for a moment, then sat back down, leaning against the sofa, crossing his legs, and folding his arms. He said to Wen Ying, "This will do."

It was indeed a very authoritative pose. If the background behind him could appear on the card, it would be a card that would attract countless players to spend money and draw it in a human realm mobile game. The dragon demon's arrogant gaze was impressive, except for those who disliked Lan Jiaying.

Wen Ying suddenly noticed that Lan Jiaying's hairstyle was different from the previous night. His usual straight bangs seemed to have been styled, now curling to one side with smaller curls adorning it. On the left side, two tiny braids were nestled near his neck, clearly the result of meticulous grooming.

Could it be...

An image flashed through Wen Ying's mind: Lan Jiaying waking up at six in the morning to have a stylist work on his hair. The corners of his lips involuntarily twitched, and he pressed the back of his hand against them to prevent a smile from breaking out.

"What's that look for?" Lan Jiaying asked, displeased.

"I'm admiring you," Wen Ying replied, lifting his hand. With a gentle tap in mid-air, the outline of a white card instantly materialized.

"Hmph." Though Lan Jiaying was a show-off, he had the credentials to back it up. His arrogance only made him seem deserving. Wen Ying's attention was fixated on Lan Jiaying's eyes; they would undoubtedly be captivating when depicted on a card. That proud and piercing gaze seemed capable of transcending space.

Behind him, the broad dragon wings' skeletal structure extended, with the tail curling around and its sharp tip resting on his leg. The contrast between the black and gold custom fabrics adorning the tail created a visually pleasing color spectacle.

The dragon horns atop his head must have been polished in the morning, as they now shimmered with heightened luster.

He resembled a fearsome humanoid beast basking in the sunlight, in a moment of rest.

Lan Jiaying casually used the tip of his tail to create a stream of water in front of him, spelling out, "Good afternoon."

This was the aura, Wen Ying thought as he worked on the card design. Lan Jiaying didn't speak, but those three ordinary words carried an inexplicable arrogance of someone who had long held a high position.

Coach, he wants to learn this, Wen Ying mused, focusing on the aura. But before he could finish the card, it exploded.

Lan Jiaying raised an eyebrow. "Failed?"

Wen Ying wiped his face. "Normal."

Although SSR cards were challenging to draw, replicating an ordinary water magic spell with eighty percent of its original power was difficult. It was even harder to create the effect of the character appearing alongside the spell.

Wen Ying spent the whole afternoon there. Lan Jiaying's temperament was much better than Scarlet's; he was very cooperative, like a professional model. He was very satisfied with the finished product and even gave Wen Ying a kind expression.

"Not bad, you drew me looking very domineering," Lan Jiaying's eyes never left the card in his hand. "You're not that useless after all. Have you made Perseus's card yet?"

"Not yet."

Confidence and satisfaction radiated from every pore of Lan Jiaying's body. He looked at Wen Ying and said with full conviction, "I don't believe any demon would dislike this card."

Indeed, if this card were placed in the pool, he would want it too, regardless of any grudges with Moons...

But if fewer demons than planned bought the cards, his scheme would be half-defeated. Wen Ying immediately decided to make Perseus's card so irresistible that it would move heaven and earth, and the same for Levimo, Lilith, Phileas, and Muershi... After all, he claimed to be unpopular.

These magic cards had a lifespan of only one month, though short, but since they were in possession, most demons would undoubtedly be tempted to witness the 3D realistic version of the demon that emerged from them. Wen Ying believed that half of the demons would use their cards within a week of acquiring them.

His magic cards had an extra feature compared to those random purchase products in the human world - they were consumable. Even the most sincere buyers wouldn't be able to resist buying more to use.

Wen Ying, who had suffered from the capitalist blind box frenzy, had mastered its exploitative tactics and refined them for the demon realm, making it even more universally detested.

Even the luckiest among them, who managed to get the character card they wanted with just one blind purchase, would be compelled to continue buying blind boxes or join group purchases, ha ha ha.

Once the fervor surrounding this initial batch of cards subsides, he will then contact Muershi's family factory, instructing them to produce ordinary cards with this same card face, designating them as collectible editions that can be permanently cherished and will not vanish due to depletion of magic power. In doing so, he aims to make another profitable harvest—not just from cards, but also from badges, color prints, standing displays, and more. He is confident that there will be no shortage of opportunities to "reap the leek," as he chuckles to himself.

In the Realm of Demons, demons' innate inclination to admire strength made them appealing targets for exploitation by capitalists. Previously, no demon dared to seek authorization from the higher-ranking ones. However, Wen Ying, bolstered by Aruda's support, took on this task.

The devil within Wen Ying's heart laughed wildly, its presence so palpable that it even reflected on his face. Lan Jiaying sensed that this devil was oozing malevolence, as if the dark aura around it was taking on a tangible form.

"You... Are you planning to use this card for something harmful against me?" Lan Jiaying asked warily.

Wen Ying suppressed the devil within him and innocently arched his eyes. "How could that be? I have to make this card for Bellerophon and the others too. There's no way I can harm you alone."

Lan Jiaying pondered for a moment and, indeed, found it inconceivable. Thus, she allowed Wen Ying to leave and began to devise the second act of her revenge plan, which involved demoting Wen Ying from the top rank in the elimination tournament.

Of course, Wen Ying wouldn't stop there. Taking advantage of his newfound proficiency, he spent another entire night at home experimenting, producing hundreds more. He even made a few extra for Scarlet, though after numerous failed attempts, Wen Ying decided to cease. It had been too long since he last witnessed Scarlet casting her spells, and thus the success rate of his replication dwindled significantly.

There were still two days left of the break, and Wen Ying intended to go out and have fun. However, the uncertainty of the documentary’s premiere made him feel restless. In the end, he took a nap and woke up early in the morning to head straight for his neighbor, Perseus’.

Wen Ying informed Aruda that he would be staying here for the duration of the holiday.

Arriving with the fear that Boreas might have left, he was relieved to find a demon standing guard. Today's Boreas was a domestic Boreas, dressed in loose, all-black oversized T-shirts and pants, in contrast to yesterday when he had been exercising and wore only a black tank top, revealing his well-defined contours. His features now appeared softer in this casual attire.

Boros, upon seeing him, took the initiative to ask, "How was yesterday?"

"Yesterday?"

"You were supposed to make a card for Lan Jiaying, right?"

Wen Ying understood and smiled in surprise, "I didn't expect you to be concerned about such matters. I thought you wouldn't bother."

As he spoke, he took out one of the cards he had made yesterday from his spatial ring and handed it to Boros.

Boros didn't take it, only glancing at it from the corner of his eye with visible disdain while it was still in Wen Ying's hand.

Wen Ying retracted his hand, caressing the surface of the card. "I'll have to make you look better, otherwise my plan will fail."

"I'll always look better than him, no matter how you draw him," Boros turned and walked towards the house.

Wen Ying froze for a moment before entering with an odd mood, closing the door behind him.

"Is there a specific pose you want?" Wen Ying caught up to Boros in a few strides and asked by his side.

Boros sat on the sofa, using magic to pull two cups of water beside him onto the table. He then washed them with heated water, pouring the remaining liquid out the window into the yard outside.

The kettle beside him happened to be boiling, so Boros picked it up and filled the two cups with water.

"You think of something yourself," Boros said. "If it's too troublesome, I won't do it."

Wen Ying replied, "I've thought of one for you. You can have black flames around you, spread your bat wings behind you, stretch out your hand towards me, fingers slightly curved like claws, palm facing down. The rest is up to you, feel free to improvise, I'll figure out the rest myself."

Boros found it a bit troublesome, but since he had already agreed, he couldn't back out now. He stood up and headed to the backyard, with Wen Ying following. The yard was almost barren, with only a hot spring steaming over there. There was nothing else.

"You truly have an deserted place here," Wen Ying remarked with a sigh.

"Normally, it's all burned away."

Boros stood guard, releasing black flames that instantly spread out, causing the temperature to soar. As if on purpose, a tongue of flame shot towards Wen Ying, who instinctively countered it with a water spell.

Boros seemed pleased. "Not bad, you've honed your instincts quite a bit. Keep it up."

Wen Ying nodded. Boros had a look of pleasure in his eyes, preferring this sort of display rather than coyness... What strange preferences did he have? He had never heard of liking strength so much before.

The flames were too hot, and Wen Ying felt a bit warm. He created some ice cubes to cool down the area and then asked Boros to pose for a water spell. The word Boros formed with water was "go train".

Wen Ying: "..."

After spending a day here, drenched in sweat, he had gained quite a bit. As a memento, he left a piece behind for Boros.

On the second and final day, Wen Ying summoned Muershi to the villa. Muershi came up with his own pose, donning a bathrobe as he sat by the hot spring pool, with his feet submerged in the water. His wings behind him concealed half of his body, giving off a casual and flirtatious vibe.

Wen Ying sensed Muershi's struggle, patting his shoulder and saying solemnly, "I'll make sure it looks good on you."

Muershi dangled his feet in the hot spring, sighing gloomily as he gazed at the sky. "I'm making a huge sacrifice here, being the bottom and losing face."

Wen Ying felt a bit awkward, scratching his cheek. He was just about to suggest sharing more profits with Muershi when he suddenly remembered that he had already given him a significant portion. Looking at Muershi's seemingly melancholic expression, he realized it might be an act. With a sudden move, he kicked Muershi into the hot spring.

Muershi climbed out, his hair and wings damp. He leaned on the edge of the pool, sighing. "So boring."

"Hurry up, hurry up."

It had been another exhausting day. They spent the afternoon creating Muershi's card and discussed packaging in the evening. The factory was already producing packaging bags based on the thickness of six cards. On the front was Wen Ying's Mirror Self, while the back featured seven black cards with a question mark in the middle. Six cards were arranged in three rows of two, with the seventh one at the bottom, labeled as the hidden edition.

Muershi admired the human concept of blind boxes. Wen Ying explained that it was a trend in the human realm. Muershi joked that the human who invented it must have been influenced by their wicked birds. Wen Ying rolled his eyes.

The individual packaging bag followed this design, and the complete box was similar, mostly silver-white with an image of six cards on one side, waiting for Wen Ying's artwork to be printed.

They had already completed cards for Scarlet, Lan Jiaying, Perseus, and Muershi. Phaeros, Levimo, and Lilith remained.

"You'd better hurry," Muershi said. "I heard Lan Jiaying is pushing those demon editors to work overtime on the video. The documentary might be released in a week. Videos can be edited differently, and Lan Jiaying will likely try his best to tarnish your image."

Wen Ying, born in the human realm, understood this well. He decided to find Phaeros at school the next day to make the card, but Lan Jiaying's interference disrupted his plan. He was challenging his ranking position.

Immersed in his entrepreneurial plans, Wen Ying stepped irritably onto the familiar arena, surrounded by the familiar Sea and Mountain of Demons.

In the past few days, he had drained his magic power to create cards as if it were inexhaustible. The over-extraction led to an even greater surge in his magic power. Wen Ying didn't know why, but his magic power seemed to be consistently increasing. He had researched the growth rate of a demon's magic power at different ages, but none matched his own. Furthermore, he was already an adult.

The only issue lay with Aruda's potions.

"Who do you think will win this time?"

"Logic tells me that the First Prince will definitely defeat that Demon Mirror, but the previous matches have proven otherwise. I think there's a chance for Wen Ying to win..."

"I thought I was the only one thinking that."

"Damn, you too?"

"Are we crazy? I also feel that way..."

Sitting around the arena, the spectators whispered to each other, horrified to find that many of them believed Wen Ying had a chance of winning. That was the Demon Mirror! At the bottom of the hierarchy among Low Rank Demons, who was Lan Jiaying? A Black Dragon! Even if the Demon Mirror had reached adulthood, it usually stood no chance against a Black Dragon.

In battles between demons, the first factor to consider was the aura of dominance. Low Rank Demons would instinctively submit to High Rank Demons. Then came magic power, where a significant disparity could still result in victory if one side had thick enough skin. Lastly, battle experience mattered, giving veterans an edge.

Compared to Wen Ying, they were always at a disadvantage, but previous experiences taught them not to jump to conclusions too quickly. The monthly exam was still fresh in their minds, where Wen Ying and Muershi had pulled off an undercover operation that left many demons red-faced with embarrassment. Their cunning tricks knew no bounds.

Huiguo and Wu Shaluo couldn't help feeling nervous, influenced by the whispers of the surrounding demons.

"Uncle, shouldn't His Highness be alright?" Huiguo was originally confident that Lan Jiaying would utterly defeat Wen Ying, but now, with the competition underway, he felt a sudden wave of anxiety.

Wu Shaluo smacked him on the back of his head, hissing, "What are you saying? Of course His Highness will win without a doubt." Even as he spoke, he couldn't shake off his own unease.

If even Lan Jiaying lost to Wen Ying... then he stood no chance. He'd have to wait until adulthood to give Wen Ying a sound beating.

Felice sat beside Belleros, his usually cool gaze burning with passion. Belleros had always been his goal!

Belleros maintained a cold expression, while Felice was puzzled by Belleros' attitude today. He had been studying Felice closely, not just giving him a casual glance.

Could it be that Belleros had noticed a significant improvement in his abilities? !

Felice was ecstatic. After receiving the high-grade magic potion from Wen Ying to resist the ice poison, he had immediately taken it and secluded himself for three days in a frigid array. Although the family's resources for arrays and magic potions in the capital weren't as advanced as those in their main branch, he could clearly feel the ice poison hindering his magical power growth had significantly diminished. This made his cultivation much more efficient.

"Lord Belleros," Felice suppressed his eagerness, trying to keep his voice calm and composed, "Will you have time later? I'd like to spar with you."

"No time."

Phileas's excitement visibly waned, but he said with disappointment, "That's alright. I'll wait until you're free."

On the arena, Wen Ying observed Lan Jiaying, whom he hadn't seen for a few days. Unlike before, Lan Jiaying was now fully unleashed, his aura intimidating and demonic as it pressed down fiercely upon Wen Ying.

Feng Luo had also come to watch the match, primarily to assess how much Wen Ying's battle instincts had improved. If it wasn't enough, Feng Luo would intensify Wen Ying's training.

In other words, he would beat him even harder.

Lan Jiaying moved his limbs gracefully and nonchalantly. His actions were leisurely, but his dark eyes never left Wen Ying, his hunting pupils narrowing into cold lines as they overlapped with the eyes of a dragon.

"I don't want you to surrender right away. For my hair's sake, you'd better have thick skin and be able to take a beating," Lan Jiaying's lips curled up, filling the arena with a murderous intent.

After twirling his right hand a few times, a metal magic knife suddenly appeared in his grip, materialized by magic within a short span of time. His control over magic was highly skilled.

Wen Ying, with his higher proficiency in wood magic, observed Lan Jiaying's confident expression and predatory gaze. Unconsciously, vines formed in his palm. Coincidentally, he now hoped that Lan Jiaying would prove resilient as well.