Ye Yu, radiant and majestic, drew countless admiring gazes. The two young women pulled out towels they had prepared in advance, like attentive little wives, and began wiping away the sweat… that didn't even exist.
Their relationship with Ye Yu had long ceased to be a secret.
In fact, throughout the school, couples were everywhere, and many even got married right after graduation.
"Of course, that level of combat was just a warm-up. How could I be hurt? The others don't know my true strength, but you two do."
Ye Yu smiled as he looked at them.
"Pfft!"
The two girls, understanding the implication, blushed slightly before throwing him a look full of unspoken meaning.
They knew very well his abilities… in all domains.
Ye Yu: "…."
Faced with their dazzling beauty and youthful charm, he couldn't help but chuckle.
---
"What's so special about him? You'd think he's the only genius around here!"
In the crowd, Zhang Haobai stared at Ye Yu with a dark gaze, consumed by jealousy.
He raised his voice, hoping to catch the attention of the two girls.
Liu Ting and Xu Xin — the undisputed beauties of Yi'an High School No. 3, the dream goddesses of every boy there.
But no one paid him any attention. Worse, mocking laughter rippled around him.
"Hey, Zhang Haobai, instead of dragging others down, why don't you just get in the ring with Ye Yu? If you win, we'll all acknowledge your skill."
"Haha, beat Ye Yu? I doubt he could even match Luo Feng!"
"Honestly, if he can defeat Liu Ting or Xu Xin, that alone would be a miracle!"
Mockery rained down like knives, the scornful looks piercing Zhang Haobai deeper than any wound.
The truth hurt more than lies.
Zhang Haobai, proud of being an intermediate warrior at just 18 (a feat in a school where fewer than 50 students had even reached warrior level), found himself utterly crushed in comparison to Ye Yu and Luo Feng.
Six months ago, Luo Feng — who had just broken through to intermediate warrior — had defeated three peers of equal rank in single combat, including Zhang Haobai himself.
Humiliated, he had then challenged Ye Yu, thinking him an easier opponent.
Fatal mistake.
Usually reserved, Ye Yu had obliterated him in a single move, putting him in bed for two weeks.
Since then, both monsters had advanced to advanced warrior level, dominating the Yangzhou inter-school tournament.
Meanwhile, Zhang Haobai… hadn't even made it into the Top 100.
Worse, Liu Ting and Xu Xin had surpassed him, ranking in the Top 5 thanks to their dazzling sword and blade techniques.
Their beauty and strength had even outshone Ye Yu and Luo Feng's popularity.
"Go on then, step up!"
Students were now teasing Zhang Haobai, enjoying how his usual arrogance was backfiring.
Clenching his fists, he glared at Ye Yu with burning hatred.
Xu Xin…
According to his uncle, the Xu family was part of the core of the HR Alliance.
Even though Xu Xin was just from a side branch, marrying her would save him twenty years of effort.
---
Meanwhile, Ye Yu sat off to the side, letting his mind drift.
Suddenly, a line of text appeared before his eyes:
[System loading: 99.999732%...]
No panic.
This system had been with him since he arrived in this world, sixteen years ago.
After providing him with a mysterious formula (the "neutralizer"), it had remained in a state of "loading"...
For sixteen freaking years.
"Finally..."
The digits were flashing — the end was near.
Based on his calculations, the system would be fully operational tonight, or by tomorrow morning at the latest.
About time.
Because without it, Ye Yu felt like he was losing control.
The original storyline had already derailed.
In Swallowed Star, at this point, Luo Feng was just a high-level trainee at the dojo, struggling to pass the warrior exam and lift his family from poverty.
But now?
Advanced warrior.
Awakened psychic powers.
True strength: Mid-tier warrior.
Worse, where the high school should have had only three advanced trainees (Luo Feng, Zhang Haobai, Liu Ting), there were now hundreds, with fifty confirmed warriors.
Xu Xin, originally meant to be nothing more than a political tool with no martial talent, had become an advanced warrior under Ye Yu's influence.
The whole world was changing.
Warriors were multiplying, and their average level was skyrocketing.
Today, a simple Warrior-level fighter was no longer considered elite.
Only Advanced Warriors, or even Planetary-level fighters, truly mattered.