Chapter 70: Exchange Competition (Part Two)

Chapter 70: Exchange Competition (Part Two)

Danmaku:

"Wait, did you see that the fifth prince is using a specially crafted weapon? He must have relied on it to take down the star beasts."

"Don't be fooled. It's not the fifth prince who's capable, it's his weapon."

"A C student with all the best gear, how enviable."

"Give me that weapon, and I could do it too!"

……

Some people firmly believed that Cang Cheng could instantly kill the black bear bees because of his weapon.

They complained about how unfair it was and claimed they could do it too if they had the same weapon.

Some just refused to acknowledge the excellence of others.

During the Exchange Competition, Mo Yu thanked Cang Cheng, "Thank you for your support just now."

Cang Cheng: "You're welcome. I couldn't just watch my teammate get hurt."

Having undergone training, Cang Cheng could skillfully use most firearms, and the burst gun that controls bullet trajectories using Mental energy was the best weapon for him.

Seeing that Mo Yu was struggling, Cang Cheng quickly decided to provide support with his firearms.

The three Spirit Runes he had were too conspicuous, and for a small group of black bear bees, it wasn't necessary to use them.

He raised his gun, aimed, fired rapidly, and used his Mental energy to guide the bullets for a precise kill.

The entire sequence was fluid and flawless.

Cang Cheng realized that firearms were much easier to use in real combat compared to Spirit Runes. After all, firearms only required aiming and shooting, but Spirit Runes needed thinking about which rune to use and then activating it with Mental energy.

No wonder firearms are so popular in the Canglan Star Region.

"Are you hurt?"

Mo Yu asked with concern.

When Cang Cheng pulled out his hoverboard, Mo Yu realized that he was nothing like the rumors.

Just now, Cang Cheng took down the star beasts with 100% accuracy using the burst gun, completely changing Mo Yu's opinion of him.

If it were up to him, Mo Yu admitted he wouldn't have achieved 100% accuracy.

Without Cang Cheng's help, he might have ended up seriously injured or worse.

Mo Yu thought that perhaps he had been too arrogant, not placing Cang Cheng on the same level as himself.

He could trust Cang Cheng more.

Before, Mo Yu only expressed friendliness towards Cang Cheng for the sake of team harmony, but now, Mo Yu decided to consider him a reliable partner.

"I'm fine. I was safe back here. You were amazing taking down those black bear bees."

Cang Cheng praised with a faint smile.

Cang Cheng's dazzling smile made Mo Yu feel a bit embarrassed.

"No, that's not quite right, I almost got caught in its trap in the end. Luckily, you were there. Thank you, Cang Cheng, you saved me."

As he spoke, Mo Yu's gaze fell on the white-painted gun that Cang Cheng had used.

"Is this gun custom-built?"

"Yes. It was prepared by my employee for me, isn't it amazing."

Cang Cheng waved the gun slightly.

"If we get the chance, we can exchange some thoughts..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Mo Yu's sharp eyes caught a small letter 'M' engraved on the white gun stock.

This was the mark of the weapon designer who made this weapon.

And M was a name that was once famous in the weapon designing world ten years ago.

The genius weapon designer M was the idol of all weapon designers back then; everyone wanted to be like M, designing weapons that could change the technological standards of the star domain.

But in the end, M was involved in a scandal, and all information about him disappeared overnight.

M had become socially dead.

Mo Yu didn't expect that to this day, he would see a mark belonging to M.

And the model of this weapon was very new, indicating that it had been made recently.

Mo Yu's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively reached for Cang Cheng's wrist.

Cang Cheng reflexively pulled his hand back, avoiding the movement of the A-rank Awakened individual.

Mo Yu realized he had overstepped but wasn't concerned by Cang Cheng's reaction.

He struggled to contain his surprise and excitement. "I have something to say to you."

Mo Yu's voice trembled slightly.

Seeing how Mo Yu was staring intently at his gun, Cang Cheng guessed what was on his mind and agreed, "Alright, let's find a place without cameras."

Mo Yu suppressed his emotions. "Follow me."

As he spoke, Mo Yu led Cang Cheng into a spacious tree hollow and used leaves to cover the entrance, blocking the view of the cameras from a hundred meters above.

Danmaku:

"?? What's there to cover??"

"Is there something even VIP users can't see?"

"I noticed Mo Yu was staring at the Fifth Prince's gun—hehe, something's definitely off about that gun."

"Indeed, the moment Mo Yu saw the gun, his expression changed."

"Looks like the Fifth Prince slipped up, huh!?"

"I can't wait to see how Mo Yu handles the Fifth Prince."

The flashlight from the communicator cast a beam of light through the dark tree hollow, brightening the space.

Mo Yu's eyes had been fixed on Cang Cheng's gun ever since, unable to look away.

"Can I take a look at the gun? You can unload the magazine first."

Cang Cheng handed the gun directly to Mo Yu.

Mo Yu carefully traced the gun with his hands, rubbing his fingertips over the 'M' mark.

"No doubt about it—this is M's work. He made this gun."

As he spoke, Mo Yu unexpectedly started crying, with tears dripping onto his clothes.

"M really isn't dead, he's really not dead."

Mo Yu was overwhelmed with emotion, and he sobbed uncontrollably.

After a while, his sobs finally quieted down.

Mo Yu clung to the hem of Cang Cheng's clothes, pleading, "Please, Your Highness, tell me where M is. I’ll give you anything in exchange for this information. I’ll sign a contract, do whatever you ask—just please tell me where M is."

Cang Cheng wasn't good at handling such situations, so he let Mo Yu pull on him without resisting.

"What's your relationship with M?"

Mo Yu choked on his words, "M promised me that once I turned eighteen, he'd take me on as his apprentice, but when the time came, he never showed up."

Mo Yu then stared at Cang Cheng's snake-shaped ruby tail ring, lost in thought. "I designed this ring. Desperate for money, I tried selling it on the Star Net, but the buyer wouldn’t pay more than 300 Star Coins because I was unknown and had no ID.

It was M who bought it for 50,000 Star Coins, saving me from my financial trouble."

"I should have realized… I should have known this wasn’t just a similar design—it was M’s work. It’s identical to my original design. How could I not have recognized it?"

As he spoke, Mo Yu cried even harder.

Cang Cheng gently patted Mo Yu’s shoulder. "This ring was definitely made by him. When I first saw it, I thought his design skills had improved. Turns out, the designer was you."

"M’s great at making weapons, but when it comes to design, he’s still a beginner."

Mo Yu smiled through his tears and then noticed the black furball brooch on Cang Cheng's chest.

"Your brooch is more in line with M's usual level."

The brooch was shaped like a large circle, two small circles, and a section of an oval tail.

This kind of simple geometric shape was M's comfort zone.

Cang Cheng subconsciously reached out to touch the black furball, suddenly reminded of a tail he had never touched.

Cang Cheng wondered which would feel softer—the furball or the fluffy tail.

"Your Highness, can you tell me where M is now? Or give me his contact information? I can contact him myself."

"That will have to wait until after the Exchange Competition, I'll need to ask him if he's willing."

Cang Cheng didn't agree, as this was Ming Bai's decision to make, not his.

"Oh..."

Mo Yu instantly felt somewhat disheartened.

But then, thinking that M was not only alive but had also crafted several weapons for Cang Cheng, he guessed that M must be living a good life now.

"Then... is M your weapon craftsman now? Crafting weapons for you?"

"Hmm..."

After a moment of contemplation, Cang Cheng answered: "He's responsible for many projects. To be precise, he’s a miner I’ve hired."

Mo Yu: O_o?

Mine mine mine... a miner?

How could his master possibly be a miner? His master was clearly the most skilled weapon craftsman in the entire star domain; it would be a waste of talent to send him to mine!

Mo Yu couldn’t understand at first, but after a moment of thought, he figured it out.

His Highness Cang Cheng was so wise and would never let his master work as a miner.

So this position must have been set up to protect his master.

His Highness Cang Cheng is truly kind...

Just now, he saved him, and it’s possible that his master was also saved by His Highness. Yet, he had such a poor attitude towards His Highness earlier...

On the starship, he even went to His Highness’s room to warn him.

Looking back now, he really wished he could slap himself.

Moru decided to pay for his past actions.

He suddenly knelt on one knee, bowing his head low. He apologized sincerely to Cangcheng, “Your Highness, please forgive my previous rudeness towards you. Rest assured, as long as I am by your side during this Exchange Competition, I will not let you come to any harm.”

Moru’s gaze was very resolute.

Cangcheng was unaware that in a short span of time, Moru had gone through stages of surprise, confusion, sudden realization, and self-loathing.

He guessed that Moru’s sudden change in attitude was due to M—Mingbo’s relationship.

Cangcheng did not refuse, “Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Moru.”

Moru’s tense posture relaxed instantly, “It is my duty, Your Highness Cangcheng.”

After reaching an agreement, the two left the tree hollow.

The camera floating a hundred meters above quickly locked onto Cangcheng and Moru.

Just moments ago, Moru had been indifferent towards Cangcheng, but now he transformed into a loyal knight, showing utmost care and consideration for Cangcheng. This left the audience in the live stream speechless.

Didn’t they say Moru saw through Cangcheng’s schemes?

Didn’t they say Moru was going to teach Cangcheng a lesson?

How... how did it suddenly turn out like this?

They couldn’t understand.

What exactly happened in the tree hollow?

And when Mo Yu emerged from the tree hollow, his eyes were red, as if he'd been crying his heart out.

No way… No way…

Could it be that Mo Yu was reprimanded by Cang Cheng?!

And even cried after being reprimanded……

What exactly is going on? I really need to know.

People were gnawing at their clothes and writhing in frustration.

What exactly happened that the privileged VIPs aren’t allowed to know?

You had the nerve to live-stream, but not the guts to show the whole story?!

We’re so disappointed in you!

On Luo Ri, Ming Bai was remotely controlling the outer space operation robots to expand the planetary defense range of Luo Ri, while watching the live stream of the Exchange Competition.

*

Seeing Cang Cheng and Mo Yu entering the tree hollow together, Ming Bai’s expression became somewhat conflicted.

Countless plots of the most melodramatic Star Net novels flashed through his mind.

"The Cold-faced General's Love in the Furnace"

"He loves him, he loves him, he loves him"

"Loved"

……

Ming Bai patted his head to clear his strange thoughts.

"No matter what decision Lord Cang makes, I will follow Lord Cang's footsteps."

Thinking so, Ming Bai continued to work with divided attention.

However, thinking about Mo Yu’s profession as a weapon designer, Ming Bai recalled a long time ago that he had a little online apprentice.

The apprentice was obedient and thoughtful, with a remarkable talent for design. The ruby ring for Lord Cang Cheng was designed by this little apprentice.

He had once promised the apprentice that after they came of age, he would be their master, but afterwards, he was removed from the entire star region, and the apprentice must have hated him a lot!

Ten years have passed, and he wonders how the other person is doing now. Did they successfully become a weapon designer?

Or have they switched majors out of disappointment with him?

Ming Bai could only hope that the apprentice was doing well—and had forgotten all about him.

Exchange Competition Resource Planet

*

By 8 PM, when the sky had completely darkened, the third team of the Canglan Star Region, who had gone out to expand the base in the afternoon, gradually returned to Base 0.

Unlike Cang Cheng and Mo Yu, who had returned two hours earlier, showered, changed, and were now resting comfortably, the rest of the team looked worn out.

"Ahhh!! I've had enough. Why is there a muddy pond here!"

Edward, who loved cleanliness, was attacked by a group of B-grade star beasts, Red-faced Monkeys, in the forest and was splattered all over with mud.

He endured the stinky mud all the way, and as soon as he entered Base 0, he headed straight for the washroom.

Next to Edward, Xing Qing, wearing a gas mask, took off a muddy outer layer, then peeled off one layer after another.

Like peeling an onion, after three layers, Xing Qing was once again wearing a brand new, clean outfit.

The others stared in disbelief.

Fu Congfei and Sang Ning, trying to escape the star beast wolves, accidentally fell into an underground river and struggled for a long time before getting out.

At this moment, both were soaked and shivering from the cold, their faces pale. After returning to the base, they headed straight for a hot shower.

Meanwhile, the combination of Yi Moshang and Wu Ling encountered a group of mutated vines, which were extremely troublesome.

They nearly exhausted all their weapon energy before finally dealing with the vines, leaving both utterly exhausted and not wanting to say a word.

At that moment, Yi Moshang wished he had ANKEN's Meteor Fire Rain pattern. Even a series of Fireballs would have done the job. It would definitely have burned through those vines in an instant.

After an hour of rest, the seven participants gathered in the hall, with Xing Qing remotely checking in via video as she was not present.

As soon as they stepped into the hall, their noses were greeted by the mouth-watering smell of food.

Looking closely, they saw a table spread with steaming-hot dishes: chicken stew with mushrooms, vermicelli with cabbage, tomato scrambled eggs, braised pork ribs, radish rib soup, and more.

The variety of dishes was mouthwatering, each one more fragrant than the last.

The food looked so good, it almost seemed to glow.

They rubbed their eyes, thinking they were hallucinating.

Were they seeing things?

How did so many precious foods appear at the Exchange Competition site?

Seeing that everyone was frozen in place, Cang Cheng took the lead in inviting them, "I heated some dishes with Mo Yu. Come and eat, everyone!"

Since Cang Cheng couldn't get used to nutrient solution, he brought food with him. A multi-layer food box counted as one unit and was cheaper than two units of nutrient solution.

The dishes were prepared by Sweet & Tasty Food Factory and delivered on the day Cang Cheng departed.

The food was placed in multi-layer insulated boxes and could be heated up easily.

Just now, Mo Yu used his heat gun to reheat all the dishes, and thus, a table of delicious and aromatic dishes unexpectedly appeared before everyone.

This scene left both the participants and the viewers at home speechless, with many commenting, 'This is so unfair!'

Danmaku:

"Late-night feast!"

"Did I accidentally tune into a cooking show? Is this really the Exchange Competition?"

"I’m starving! Can I join you guys?"

"Such a luxurious setup is just too much!"

"Hey, Your Highness, do you need someone to serve you? Maybe I can help and get to eat the leftovers afterward."

……

Food is pricey in the Canglan Star Region, and most civilians can't afford much beyond the basics. It was only after Sweet & Tasty started selling affordable bread that food gradually became part of the common people's diet.

However, even so, seeing such a table full of delicious food far exceeded public expectations.

All anyone could feel was envy.

Damn, how come someone brought so much food for a competition?

Can you show some respect?!

The audience watching on screen was both furious and drooling.

In the hall, Edward was the first to snap out of it. He walked to his seat in a few steps, nodded to Cang Cheng in gratitude, and said, "Thank you for your thoughtful preparation, Your Highness. Nothing beats a great meal after a long day of work."

With Edward taking the lead, the other participants gradually took their seats.

Yi Moshang: "Your Highness, why did you bring all this food? I just brought nutrient solution."

Fu Congfei: "What? You're saying this whole table of dishes is worth only one unit? That's a steal!"

Sang Ning: "I thought today was going to be a disaster, but after seeing all this food, I don't feel unlucky at all."

Meanwhile, Xing Qing messaged Edward to have the food sent to her room.

Xing Qing sent a remote message: "Thank you, Your Highness. It's very delicious."

Wu Ling looked disdainful and said, "Tch, trying to win people over with food? The fifth prince sure knows how to play his cards."

Before Cang Cheng could respond, Fu Congfei and Mo Yu immediately shot back.

Mo Yu: "Shut up."

Fu Congfei: "If you don't want to eat, get lost."

They exchanged a glance, their resolve clear: they would protect Cang Cheng.

Soon after, Edward and Yi Moshang also gave Wu Ling warning glances.

Wu Ling snorted, shoveled a few bites into his mouth, and then stormed off. "I'm not feeling well, attending the meeting remotely."

With Wu Ling, the troublemaker, gone, the atmosphere became even more harmonious. Everyone chatted and shared interesting stories from today.

Every last dish was devoured, even the soup was scraped clean.

At 10:30 PM, the participants from the Canglan Star Region, who had been healed by the delicious food after a rough day, sat together for a meeting. They were all relatively relaxed at this moment.

Edward summarized the data and said, "Today was the smoothest day of the 3-day Exchange Competition. All of us completed the base expansion task, extending the base outward by 80 units.

Mo Yu and Cang Cheng's team earned the most points——17,511."

The rest were surprised.

They had been outwitting various emergencies all day and hadn't had the chance to check the team's points at all.

Now that they had the time to look, they found that Cang Cheng and Mo Yu's team had the highest points, with Cang Cheng, who was considered the weakest by default, having nearly 6,000 points.

This point total ranked third in the Canglan Star Region, which was indeed not low.

The way everyone looked at Cang Cheng had changed again.

They naturally didn't think that Cang Cheng had gotten over 6,000 points just by luck; he might not be as weak as the rumors suggested.

"Tomorrow is the second day of the Exchange Competition. According to past years, there is a 78% chance of engaging the enemy on the second day, with most battles occurring at night."

Fu Congfei relayed the data she got from her brother: "How about we continue to set up defenses in the morning? In the afternoon, we'll leave two people to guard the base to prevent the opponent from sneaking in and releasing their leader and vice-leader. The rest will go out to fight?"

This was a very conservative and cautious combat strategy.

The others had no objections, and after discussing the details, they parted ways one by one.

Cang Cheng returned to his room, where a thank-you gift from Xing Qing for the dinner was placed by the door—three fruit-flavored speed-enhancing potions.

Cang Cheng accepted the potions and sent a thank-you message back to Xing Qing.

After returning to his room, Cang Cheng sat by the window, pondering the Exchange Competition.

On the first day, since both star regions were mainly expanding their bases and didn't encounter any enemies, it felt relatively safe overall.

However, from the disheveled state of several teams returning to the base, it was clear that the young participants lacked field experience and were prone to issues when faced with emergencies.

This weakness wouldn't have been a problem in previous exchange competitions, but... this time, the competition was clearly a setup for him, and the participants' lack of experience could lead to fatal consequences.

Moreover...

"Although based on past experience, the two sides of the Exchange Competition would only engage the enemy on the second night, this time it might be different."

Cang Cheng looked out the window, where clouds were beginning to gather, casting a dark and gloomy sky. It should be a rainy day tomorrow.

He crouched down, placing one hand on the ground, and input mental energy into the earth.

After continuously and slowly inputting for 10 minutes, allowing the magic energy to spread out, Cang Cheng detected many unfamiliar auras.

There were star beasts, plants, and also... people from the Giant Rock Star Region.

The auras were too chaotic, making it difficult for Cang Cheng to distinguish them.

However, he managed to locate the Giant Rock Star Region people who were currently 15 kilometers away, which wasn't far.

Due to the high levels of the Giant Rock Star Region's Awakened, Cang Cheng didn't linger his mental energy in that area for too long.

He continued forward until he detected the Giant Rock Star Region's Base 0 and found the familiar aura in a room.

Hilmeth had been in the dark room for a day, with no signals or entertainment facilities.

In such conditions, time became exceptionally long.

However, this situation wasn't hard for Hilmeth to endure; having been locked in a basement for over ten years as a child, he had long grown accustomed to it.

After drinking a nutrient solution to replenish his energy, Hilmeth began to calculate the various possibilities regarding weapon leaks and the third prince.

Just then, a crisp sound came from beneath his feet.

Hilmeth tensed, his blue eyes flickering downward.

But when he saw the small raised stone tablet, his blue eyes softened, reflecting the gentle glow of moonlight.

The stone tablet read:

"Wait for me to rescue you, imprisoned Princess Xixi.

↓

(Please write the reply here)"

This was clearly Cang Cheng's doing.

Hilmeth's frustration melted away. He wasn't the least bit embarrassed by the nickname.

He knelt and scribbled his reply on the stone tablet with his finger.

"Waiting for you, Prince Cang."

After writing, he couldn't help but feel a little silly.

"Our camps are 25 kilometers apart, and I'll do my best to reach you early.

Don't miss me too much, Xixi."

Hilmeth traced the words gently with his fingers.

"Be careful not to get hurt, Cang Cheng."

Despite the gloomy weather outside, Hilmeth felt bright and hopeful inside.

*

Under the cover of night, someone quietly slipped a signal transmitter, disguised as a decoration, into a companion's backpack.

Everything was unfolding exactly as planned.

Day 1 of the Exchange Competition concluded.

Canglan Star Region score: 59623

Giant Rock Star Region score: 38921