We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

"Thank you for letting me know."

Hearing the voice in his mind, Tian Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

For some reason, he didn't turn on the lights when he came in. In addition, the sun had already set, and feeling the softness beneath him, the heavy burden on his shoulders was finally relieved.

He lay back on the sofa, gently rubbing his temples with both hands, trying to relieve his fatigue, and turned his head to look at the bright moon outside the window.

However, it only lasted for a moment.

"hypocritical!"

"What a bunch of hypocrites! They're all such a bunch of hypocrites! Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Talking to a bunch of hypocrites like that is fucking disgusting!"

"what--!!!"

As if suffering from a split personality, Tian Ming suddenly sat up straight, his eyes turning extremely gloomy, and he let out a furious, hysterical roar of resentment.

He looked like he was about to vent all the resentment in his heart.

"Crack! Crack!"

After roaring angrily, Tian Ming still felt unsatisfied. He glanced at the messy table, then suddenly waved his hand, and the teacups, teapot, and other utensils on the table fell to the ground like raindrops.

The crystal glass collided violently with the ground, and water droplets suddenly scattered, soaking the ground. The broken glass was scattered all over the ground like flower petals.

Tian Ming hated that he had to put on a fawning smile in front of Shen Bailian, and he also hated himself for having to smile kindly at those who gossiped about him behind his back, even though he wanted to tear those passersby apart...

His current posture made him feel a deep loathing for himself, but he was helpless about it.

The reason is also very simple.

Because Tian Ming's strength is weak and his martial arts realm is low, even disregarding his strength, if he were a martial arts prodigy now, he would be among the top students in his class, just like in high school.

It will never be like this now.

As for what he said before, it will definitely not be mistaken for a rumor; some martial arts students will certainly believe it to be true.

Unfortunately, Tian Ming was just a martial artist at the Life Establishment Realm. Even with his talent, he could only rank in the middle among the many talented individuals at the Heavenly Gang Academy.

It's neither good nor bad.

They belong to the type of martial arts students who will never leave a deep impression on their martial arts teachers.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

The crackling sounds, hysterical screams, and angry shouts in the dormitory gradually faded away with the passage of time, and finally disappeared completely.

A ray of bright moonlight gradually climbed up the windowsill, then followed the bright window and seeped into the pitch-black dormitory, landing on Tian Ming's gloomy face.

"Is it already that late?" Tian Ming slowly opened his pained eyes. He glanced at the smart bracelet on his wrist and realized that more than an hour had passed without him noticing.

However, it was definitely worth it.

Because of the frustration, irritability, helplessness, impatience, and other negative emotions he felt, most of them had dissipated after this act of vandalism.

"It made you laugh."

"No, that's not true. Appropriately venting emotions is one of the things humans should do. If you're willing, I can get that martial arts prodigy Feng Yanqiu to willingly come to your bed." The cold and ruthless voice continued to echo in Tian Ming's mind.

"Wow, when did you become so generous?"

“We’ve always been very generous, haven’t we? If you’re willing to cooperate, this can be considered a deposit for you. After it’s done, we can give you anything you want.”

"Heh." Tian Ming's lips curled up, and he couldn't help but let out two cold laughs.

He then stood up and began to tidy up the messy items on the floor, storing them in his storage ring. In less than a minute, the room, which had been like a garbage dump, was transformed into a brand new space.

Even the tea set on the table had been changed.

Tian Ming tidied his messy hair, took a cold shower, and after his thoughts had completely calmed down, he changed his clothes.

He then sat back down on the sofa and leisurely brewed a pot of tea.

White mist slowly rises from the spout of the kettle, like a white ribbon, climbing higher and higher, as if time itself has slowed down.

The pitch-black dormitory room fell silent once again.

"You just said you could give me anything I want?"

"Correct!"

"Alright, if that's how it is," Tian Ming said slowly, his eyes slightly narrowed, as he picked up a cup of hot tea, blew on it, and spoke amidst the tinkling of the water.

"Then I want to become a god."

"can!"

When Tian Ming heard the crisp and clear answer in his mind, he was stunned for a moment. Then he took a sip of tea and immediately felt much more refreshed.

"Then come on, I'm ready."

"I've already told you, but the condition is that you're willing to cooperate, and that your request will only be granted after the matter is resolved." There was already a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Oh." Tian Ming was naturally unfazed. He shrugged and said with a mocking expression, "Easier said than done. Aren't you just trying to get something for nothing?"

"And after it's all done, who knows what your definition of 'done' will be?"

"Besides, your so-called deposit is way too cheap, isn't it?"

"Don't you know what era we live in? Does the honey trap still work? If I were really after that little bit of beauty, I'd rather have a few short-term cyborgs custom-made to satisfy myself."

“If you don’t show some sincerity, then let’s not talk about cooperation anymore. I’m afraid Kronos will misunderstand.”

The sound suddenly disappeared.

Tian Ming appeared indifferent, crossed his legs, hummed a little tune, and rhythmically tapped his thigh with his right hand, quietly waiting for the other party's reply.

He wasn't sure if the other party would give up, but it didn't matter.

The appearance of this voice was unplanned; it only appeared suddenly after he arrived in Hulao City and reached an agreement with Kronos.

Tian Ming guessed that this must be another deity. Although it was not explicitly stated, the implication was that it wanted to intercept the mission halfway.

If it were at the beginning, he might have been terrified.

but now?

Tian Ming was already familiar with this feeling, and he wasn't worried about whether the other party would suddenly attack and kill him, because he still had value to use the owner of the voice in his mind.

Furthermore, the Zhou Tian Star Array exists within the Great Xia territory, so even if those gods want to cause trouble, they must be prepared to expend a great deal of divine power.

To expend a massive amount of divine power to kill a martial artist at the Life Establishment Realm?
No one would do something so stupid unless they've lost their mind.

Of course, the most important thing is that Kronos left Tian Ming with a way to save his life, which is one of the reasons why he was fearless in the face of the unknown god.

After a while~
Just as Tian Ming sighed, a look of disappointment on his face, and was about to go back to rest, that familiar voice rang in his mind once again.

"What do you want? It's best if it's reliable, otherwise there's no point in us continuing to cooperate."

"We need overwhelming strength now."

"Yes, based on the current situation, I can elevate your strength to the Transcendent Realm within seven days, and make you a Sea Opening Realm martial artist a month later." "Since you've already reached the Sea Opening Realm, can't you go even higher?"

"No, unless the established plan is completed."

Upon hearing this unwavering answer, Tian Ming paused for a moment, then added, "But it must be reasonable."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "It's a bit difficult. You should know how many people's memories need to be changed to make this seem reasonable, and how much effort will be required..."

"I don't want to hear these explanations. If you don't want to, then forget it. Anyway, I'm afraid Lord Chronos might misunderstand me unnecessarily." Tian Ming still looked indifferent.

"you……"

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell Kronos about this?"

"Afraid?" Upon hearing this, Tian Ming sneered and said indifferently, "Of course I'm afraid, but so what? I'm just a worthless life."

"Besides, Shen Bailian is very important to you, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to him immediately after Kronos left. Now you are in the open, and he is in the dark. You only need to pay a negligible price to snatch Shen Bailian before Kronos."

"This deal must be a good deal for you, right?"

"But you know too much." The voice continued to echo in Tian Ming's mind, but compared to before, it now carried a faint hint of death threat.

"So what?" Tian Ming sneered. "I know you want to kill me, and you have the ability to kill me, but so what? Do you dare? Or do you have the guts?"

Her voice fell silent again, because she truly dared not, otherwise she wouldn't have secretly tried to seduce Tian Ming.

However, to her surprise, Tian Ming was not only greedy but also not tempted by the blueprint she had drawn up.

Or rather, Tian Ming has even greater ambitions.

In a way, it can be considered as having a firm belief in the Dao.

"Gods? Heh..."

“I understood one thing when I was in school: unfairness is the norm in this world. Excellent students always get the teacher’s favor, and even if they make mistakes, it’s just a minor matter.”

"Fortunately, I was born in an era where fist is power; unfortunately, my martial arts talent is extremely mediocre compared to the many prodigies of the Heavenly Gang Academy."

"so what?"

"So, I want to become stronger!"

"Even the ugly duckling dreams of becoming a swan, so I still want to go to that world, that world of top martial arts prodigies, to expose that person's hypocritical face, even if it means dying without regret!"

Tian Ming murmured softly, his voice growing increasingly firm.

He lay half-reclined on the sofa, staring up at the dark ceiling, his dark eyes gleaming with an eerie light; no one knew what he was thinking.

This included himself, because his thoughts were so chaotic at the moment that he didn't know whether this was right or wrong.

"Alright, you will get what you want in seven days, but I hope you will also keep your mouth shut, otherwise, what I can give you, I will definitely take back a hundredfold!"

"I still have a few questions." Even though he had gotten what he wanted, Tian Ming didn't feel much joy at the moment; instead, he was filled with deep doubts.

"Ask away, but I'll only answer three questions."

Upon hearing the immediate and uninterrupted answer in his mind, Tian Ming immediately became interested and asked curiously:
"What is your purpose? Why do you and the gods like Kronos value Shen Bailian so much, and are willing to pay any price to obtain her?"

"I refuse to answer." The cold voice echoed in Tian Ming's mind: "Consider it a question."

"Alright then." Tian Ming hesitated for a moment, then his lips moved for a few seconds before he finally gave up. After all, he didn't want to offend the other party too much, so he asked instead:
"So how are you going to improve my martial arts level? Let me make it clear in advance, I don't want to grow old prematurely."

"It's very simple, just reverse the cause and effect."

"What exactly is hidden in that jade box that I just gave to Shen Bailian?" When Tian Ming asked this question, a hint of disdain flashed through his mind.

Even the top martial arts prodigy of Tiangang Academy could not resist the temptation of rare and precious materials.

However, the real mystery lies not in the ginseng itself, but in the jade box that holds it.

Simply put, the moment Shen Bailian's hand first touched the jade box, he was already struck by its attack, something Shen Bailian could never have imagined.

"Meme curse, you still have one question left."

“Okay.” Tian Ming nodded. Although the other party hadn’t explicitly stated it, he had vaguely guessed the meaning of “meme curse” from the words and asked:
"Which side are you on? Of all the divine favored ones I've met, none are as easy to talk to as you."

The voice in Tian Ming's mind suddenly fell silent. Just when Tian Ming thought it was another "thank you for your patronage," he suddenly heard a deep voice:

"I am... a remnant of the old era."

"The remnants of the old era, the old era..." Tian Ming's brows furrowed tightly as he repeated softly, unable to understand the meaning behind it.

……

[Congratulations, your divine matter has been increased; divine matter +10]

【…】

Shen Bailian lay leisurely on the massage chair, with the jade box that had previously contained the ginseng in his arms.

At the same time, a series of notification sounds flashed across his panel, and the divine substance on the panel was increasing at a relatively fast rate.

"Good heavens, the old saying is indeed true. You can't just accept gifts from outsiders." Shen Bailian activated his Divine Eye to its fullest extent, his consciousness sinking into the cells of his limbs and bones.

On the cell membranes of his once vibrant and full cells, after he touched the jade box, strange, scribbled patterns suddenly appeared, shimmering with blood-red light.

Extremely weird.

In Shen Bailian's view, although no negative effects have appeared yet, this is undoubtedly an ominous sign, and his first reaction is that he has been cursed.

But it doesn’t matter.

Time passed by little by little, and soon it was already past midnight.

The speed at which the notification messages appeared on the panel gradually slowed down, and the amount of divine matter obtained at one time also decreased, finally stopping at a certain moment.

"Is it over already?" Shen Bailian looked at the panel where there were no more message notifications and waited for a while until there was absolutely no further activity.

He knew that he had already absorbed all the divine substance in the jade box.

Within his body, the strange blood-red patterns were no longer confined to the surface of his cells, but had penetrated deep inside, even appearing faintly blood-red in his spiritual sea.

The poisoning was quite severe.

"Hey, playing these underhanded tricks all the time, most people would definitely fall for it, but for me?"

“No pressure at all.” Shen Bailian took out a silver pill from his storage ring and swallowed it. With a slight thought, his heartbeat suddenly stopped.

death!

But the next moment.

"Bang! Bang bang bang!!!"

Shen Bailian's vigorous and powerful heartbeat, like the beating of a drum, rang out again, and the blood-red patterns in his body completely disappeared.

This is the secondary effect of the passive resurrection of [Following in the Shadow]: after resurrection, all negative statuses are removed.

It's equivalent to purification. (End of Chapter)