Chapter 20: Never Absent

Early in the morning, somewhere a rooster crowed.

There was none of the city’s clamor, none of the exhaust fumes from automobiles; the air was refreshingly damp, and the dew on the grass hung suspended, not yet fallen.

Seated in the courtyard, Jiang Lin perused the newspapers he had just bought from a young paperboy—among them were the official daily of Xuanwu City, the Xuanwu City Penguin Highlights, the NG Division’s publication, and others.

Every page glorified Lin Qingwan’s heroic feat: the Nascent Soul Sword strike. Some papers had already begun to speculate whether Lin Qingwan would squeeze into the second or third spot on the upcoming Rising Stars list. After all, she was only the second prodigy in several centuries of Wutong Province to ascend to the first tier of the Nascent Soul realm before the age of twenty!

As for the one ranked first among the Rising Stars... to be honest, Jiang Lin had only heard of them, never seen them; what he’d heard was merely rumor. Titles such as "The Millennium's Most Talented," "Indistinguishable as Male or Female," "Ruthless and Decisive," all spoke of a formidable reputation.

Jiang Lin gazed wistfully at the sunset on the horizon.

The system had predicted that Senior Sister Lin would break through her bottleneck in battle, become hateful toward the Demon Sect, and after killing him countless times, scatter his ashes and ascend. But now? Senior Sister Lin had inexplicably resolved her inner turmoil and broken through two realms in succession. Logically, this should have deviated from the system’s prophecy, yet Jiang Lin couldn’t shake a lingering unease.

Moreover, the system only made one prediction—after that, it was indifferent, no matter how circumstances changed. Jiang Lin had no idea if the prophecy still counted.

"Forget it. Better stick to the original plan, just to be safe. This time, I'll settle things in the Maze Secret Realm!"

Yesterday, over a hundred thousand cultivators had participated in the qualification test; only five thousand made it through. Jiang Lin and Fang Chaoqun were among them. In another hour, the Maze Secret Realm would open.

Jiang Lin held no hope for the treasures unique to the Maze Secret Realm. After all, Senior Sister Lin was the protagonist; most of the fortunes would gravitate toward her. He was content to pick up whatever was left by the roadside.

With some free time, Jiang Lin practiced his "Return My Beauty Fist" in the courtyard, following the boxing manual. Yet it was merely the form, not true practice—after all, he hadn't even entered the threshold of martial arts.

...

"Brother Jiang, your boxing form looks quite refined."

Half an hour later, Fang Chaoqun emerged from his room.

"Brother Fang, you know boxing?" Jiang Lin put away his stance and looked at Fang Chaoqun, who had just woken up, somewhat surprised. In his mind, Fang Chaoqun, like himself, was a cultivator at the Cave Dwelling stage.

"Haha, to be honest, though my aptitude for cultivation can't compare to yours, I'm a four-tiered martial artist, stalled at the Cave Dwelling stage for years. I studied boxing, but couldn't stomach the hardships, so I gave it up. But I've never seen your style—does it have a name?"

"Return My Beauty Fist."

"Huh?"

"To be frank, it's called Return My Beauty Fist, created by a prodigy named Tang Bohu. The technique is as swift as the wind, emphasizing speed like lightning. Though it claims not to hit the face, Return My Beauty Fist specifically targets the opponent's face, and is said to have beautifying, detoxifying, and rejuvenating effects."

"...Forgive me, but does this technique... have any lethality?"

"None whatsoever..." Jiang Lin replied bluntly, so much so that Fang Chaoqun was at a loss for words.

But it was the truth. Return My Beauty Fist had no offensive power at all; the manual stated "beautifies, detoxifies, rejuvenates," and if mastered at the peak, could even reshape one's features...

"There truly exists such a boxing technique... Brother Jiang, why practice it?"

"Ah, it’s never a bad thing to have more skills. If things go south, I can always open a beauty salon—it's quite a good option."

"Beauty salon?"

"A shop from my hometown. Enough about that, it's getting late. Brother Fang, shall we head to Xuanwu Square?"

"Apologies, Brother Jiang. I fear I can't accompany you this time. My cousin is currently undercover in a sect, inciting discord among them."

"Hmm?"

"Here's the situation: the senior brother of the sect likes the third junior sister, but the third junior sister likes the second senior sister, and the second senior sister likes the fourth junior brother, who in turn likes the senior brother. My cousin plays a crucial role, making the third junior sister fall for her as well."

"..."

"When I insert myself as her cousin, we can coordinate and further disrupt their Dao hearts. Our performance will reach new heights. So, Brother Jiang, my apologies."

"No problem, no problem."

Jiang Lin felt a headache coming on.

"Actually, I have my own matters to attend to. Even if I enter the Maze Secret Realm, I’d have to part ways with Brother Fang eventually—whether here or at Xuanwu Square makes no difference. In that case, I'll take my leave first."

"Safe travels, Brother Jiang. I'll introduce you to my cousin one day."

"No, no! I'm more inclined toward pure romance. Farewell, Brother Fang!"

Jiang Lin’s natal flying sword shot out from between his brows. The tiny blade enlarged, and Jiang Lin stepped onto it, flying straight to Xuanwu Square.

At Xuanwu Square, half of the five thousand qualifiers had already gathered. Disguised, Jiang Lin leaned against the wall.

As more people arrived, Jiang Lin's heartbeat quickened. He kept a constant eye on the Dragon Gate Sect, prepared to evade them at any moment. Though he wore a false face, his cross-dressing had already been recognized before—let alone by Senior Sister Lin, now at the Nascent Soul stage.

By the time the hour approached, all those qualified for the Maze Secret Realm had arrived. Jiang Lin spotted Fang Chaoqun blending in with another sect, accompanied by her cousin—the delicate girl they had run into on the street.

He even saw Chen Jia, constantly pestered, who sent would-be suitors flying with a single punch...

Dragon Gate Sect arrived last. As soon as Lin Qingwan landed, her gaze swept the crowd. Jiang Lin quickly turned his back, thankfully, Lin Qingwan was soon surrounded by female fans.

At the appointed hour, the Lady City Lord of Xuanwu City appeared atop the city tower, veiled.

Though her face was hidden, her voluptuous figure made every male cultivator swallow their saliva, while the female cultivators looked down at themselves and instantly felt inferior...

"Welcome, everyone, to the sect competition," a clear, bell-like voice rang across the square. "No need for many words; you all should have received your life-saving talismans yesterday. Lastly, may you all return with treasures!"

"Thank you, City Lord!"

Everyone bowed in unison.

As her words faded, a twisted gate to the secret realm opened in the sky, like a rift in space.

Just as everyone was about to fly toward the warped portal, the system’s voice—though always late—never failed to arrive...