Outside the elevator, Brian Guang, Victor Xu, and Lily Zhou scrambled into another elevator and went upstairs, looking rather disheveled.
Brian Guang was simmering with frustration, but had nowhere to vent it.
Inside the VIP elevator leading to the presidential suites, Bella Xiao stood quietly in the corner, her pretty face calm and unruffled. Beside her, Zane Wang looked like he wanted to say something but held back.
At the front stood Warren Wang, clenching his fists and looking all swagger and bravado.
"It felt so good smacking that Southriver Sword Sect kid yesterday. I hit him with a slap and he didn’t even get knocked out! That’s some crazy toughness." Warren Wang grinned.
His voice echoed through the whole elevator as he spoke.
"Warren, try to hold back a bit next time. This isn’t Oceanport City. If you actually injure a Southriver Sword Sect disciple in the arena, they won’t just let it go." Zane Wang said, sounding a little exasperated.
His younger brother had always been different physically. The Wang family, as grave guardians, had built up quite a foundation over the years.
Warren Wang’s body was far tougher than ordinary people’s. Plus, the Wang family had dug up martial arts manuals from various tombs, and Warren’s own talent made him a fifth-grade Vajra.
Even though he was just a fifth-grade Vajra, Warren Wang’s physical strength was way beyond that of typical Vajra experts.
Plus, he was pretty simple-minded, so he often got into trouble just because of that. This time, coming to the Moore family’s arena, his goal was even simpler—he just wanted to fight, whether it meant beating people up or getting beaten himself.
"What’s there to be afraid of? Worst case, we just fight! Either they kill me, or I kill them! Who’s scared of who?" Warren Wang snorted, holding his head high.
Hearing this, Zane Wang sighed, knowing there was no way to talk sense into his brother.
"By the way, bro, that kid you said you guys ran into at Thornridge Mountain—any news about him? Was he really that strong?"
Warren Wang suddenly remembered and turned to look at Zane Wang.
He didn’t look at Bella Xiao standing next to Zane, as if he was a little wary of this camera-toting, backpacker-looking woman who seemed so thin but gave off a mysterious vibe.
"He’s really strong," Zane Wang nodded.
He recalled that youth in Oxhorn Village at Thornridge Mountain, who casually pulled a composite metal bow to full draw.
Just a casual tug, and the force was over a thousand jin!
Even after so much time, Zane Wang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly when he thought about it.
"Strong? In what way? So he just pulled a bow to full draw? If it were me, I could do that too! Not only could I pull it, I could break it!" Warren Wang scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
He grumbled, "If he were here, I’d definitely fight him—just to see who’s really stronger!"
Bella Xiao, who had been silent, suddenly spoke after a moment’s thought: "Warren, I believe you could break that composite metal bow, but could you throw an arrow by hand a hundred meters, have it pierce a man’s shoulder, and embed itself in a boulder?"
"Throw it?" Warren Wang was stunned. He thought about it, mimed the motion, then shook his head. "That’s impossible. An arrow’s so small, it’s hard to get force behind it, and air resistance would kill the speed. If it were a javelin, sure, I could pierce a rock!"
"You can’t, but he can. That’s why he’s stronger than you," Bella Xiao said coolly.
Warren Wang’s face changed, looking frustrated. He glanced at Bella Xiao—if anyone else had said this, he’d probably have blown up right there.
But since it was Bella Xiao, Warren Wang could only swallow his words, though deep down he was extra resentful. He made up his mind to teach that kid a lesson if he ever got the chance, just to show everyone who was really stronger.
Zane Wang could easily guess what Warren Wang was thinking just by looking at his face, but he only shook his head and smiled wryly.
"Maybe... we’ll never get the chance to see him again in this life."
That was what Zane Wang thought to himself.
Ding.
The elevator arrived at the eleventh floor, and the three stepped out.
Warren Wang and Zane Wang shared a suite, while Bella Xiao stayed in the one across the hall.
Tenth floor.
Room 1001.
Evan Lin tossed his bag to the floor and stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out over the city.
The sky was pitch black, not a star in sight. Through the glass, he could almost feel the cold wind slicing by outside.
"Can the Moore Family Sword really nurture a sword spirit?"
Evan Lin muttered to himself.
A sword spirit is a guardian soul bound to a sword—it’s different from magic artifacts that seal various spirits inside. A sword spirit lives and dies with its blade.
As for the Soul-Sacrifice Beauty Scroll that traps three female spirits, if the scroll is destroyed, the spirits might not vanish instantly—they could even regain their freedom.
But sword spirits are different—their bodies are often the sword itself.
There are various sword spirits: some high-grade ones are the sword’s own awakened consciousness, while others are forcibly forged and sealed into the blade, more like spirits bound into magic artifacts.
It may not seem like a big difference, but in terms of power and growth, they’re worlds apart.
I just hope it won’t disappoint me.
Evan Lin muttered, then frowned slightly, turned, and walked to the door, opening it.
Outside, May Xia was just about to knock when Evan Lin suddenly opened the door, startling her.
Is there something you need?
Evan Lin asked.
May Xia blushed and quickly said, “Oh, I just wanted to ask if you want to play poker. It’s kind of boring tonight and there’s nothing else to do.”
She stared at Evan Lin with big, watery eyes, looking pitiful and innocent.
Not interested.
After speaking, Evan Lin shut the door.
Bang!
May Xia stared blankly at the closed door. Her once innocent face changed color—she’d never been treated like this before.
What kind of person is that?
May Xia frowned. Once out of sight of the door’s peephole, her frown deepened.
Originally, she planned to let Brian Guang succeed this time, but now it seemed Lewis Lu had found a capable friend.
May Xia thought to herself.
At this moment, there was nothing innocent about her face. Her eyes flashed with calculation as she glanced again at the closed door.
I need to see what kind of background you have. If you’re better than Brian Guang, I’ll consider dumping Lewis Lu!
May Xia made up her mind.
She understood deeply that women easily obtained are seldom cherished, so she pretended to be naïve and loyal to love in front of Brian Guang, keeping both him and Lewis Lu hooked.
Her schemes were small, almost trivial.
Evan Lin closed the door, seeing through it all but not bothering to expose her.
He returned to the window, reached out, and lightly drew a circle on the glass.