After switching jobs to Navelette, the school beauty turns out to be Funina!

"Standard procedure, no need for anything fancy." Jiang Chen waved his hand.

"Don't talk about this when you get back. Just say that we used terrain traps to kill them. If people find out that I cleaned up the entire secret realm, the school will definitely make me pay compensation again."

The two nodded vigorously, joking that they had to cling to this powerful figure and keep the secret!

"By the way, check if any good items have dropped," Jiang Chen reminded him.

Although those people were washed away, professionals will drop their personal items when they die, and the materials from those high-level monsters should still be there.

The group searched the bottom of the lake for a while.

"I found it! It's a purple dagger! The stats are pretty good!" The skinny man excitedly held up a weapon.

"I also found a few bottles of high-level potions!" the fat man exclaimed happily.

Jiang Chen, on the other hand, found something strange in the original location of the altar.

It was a dark blue crystal, no bigger than a thumb, that looked like a frozen tear.

It emitted extremely pure water element fluctuations, even purer than the drop of source water within Jiang Chen's body.

【Item Name: Tears of Pure Water】

[Grade: Epic Material]

[Description: Formed from highly concentrated primordial water from the womb, it contains the power to heal all.]

[Effect: The wearer recovers 1% of their health per second and is immune to all poisons and curses. Can be used as a core material for forging artifacts.]

Jiang Chen's eyes lit up.

nice one!

Healing and poison immunity! This is practically a life-saving artifact tailor-made for Xia Qingyu!

Although he could use it himself, he had the Source Water Drop, which provided him with numerous ways to heal. Xia Qingyu, on the other hand, was fragile; with this, she wouldn't be afraid of being ambushed or poisoned.

"Qingyu, I've got something good for you."

Jiang Chen handed the [Tears of Pure Water] to Xia Qingyu.

Xia Qingyu took it and glanced at it, immediately captivated by its beautiful blue luster.

"So beautiful... What is this? A gemstone?"

I guess so.

Jiang Chen helped her string the crystal onto a red cord, and then personally placed it around her fair neck.

"This is called Pure Water Tears; it can save your life. From now on, when you take a bath... oh no, from now on, you're not allowed to take it off at any time, understand?"

Feeling the warmth from her fingertips, Xia Qingyu's face flushed again.

What is this?

Is it a token of love?

It was the kind of thing I put on myself...

"I...I understand." She lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

"And what about you? Don't you need it?"

"I'm Gu Long, tough as nails, I don't need this." Jiang Chen patted his chest.

"As long as you're alright, I'm alright too."

This cheesy pickup line may be old-fashioned, but it's still incredibly effective at hitting you.

The fat man and the skinny man, who were dividing the spoils nearby, exchanged a glance and silently turned away.

Fatty: "Hey, why is it suddenly so bright? It's blinding."

Skinny guy: "Yeah, this dog food is really delicious... oh wait, this medicine tastes really good."

……

The mission was successfully completed.

Not only did they eliminate the source of the toxins, they also wiped out a branch of the Eternal Night Order.

When Jiang Chen and his team returned to school to hand in their mission, the entire mission hall was in an uproar.

"SSS rating! Perfectly completed!"

The teacher in charge of registration was trembling as she looked at the gleaming gold evaluation.

"And the toxin removal rate is 100%? How did you do that? Even teams led by experts might not be able to clean it this thoroughly!"

"It's a secret." Jiang Chen smiled.

"Perhaps it's because we're more hygienic?"

The rewards for this mission are incredibly generous.

Each person received a prize of five million and a large number of academic credits. Jiang Chen, being the MVP, was even granted a three-day opportunity to cultivate in the "Elemental Temple".

The Elemental Temple is the core training ground of the Imperial Capital Academy, where the elemental concentration is a hundred times that of the outside world! One day of cultivation inside is equivalent to one month outside!

This was a godsend for Jiang Chen, who had just reached level 20 and desperately needed to consolidate his realm.

……

Back at the Qianlongyuan Villa.

Both of them were too tired to move.

Jiang Chen slumped on the sofa, while Xia Qingyu busied herself in the kitchen—although Jiang Chen strongly suggested ordering takeout, Xia Qingyu insisted on making him a good "nourishment" meal.

Half an hour later.

Looking at the dark, strangely smelling soup on the table, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought.

"What...is this?" Jiang Chen pointed at the bowl of soup, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Black chicken soup, so nourishing!" Xia Qingyu exclaimed expectantly.

"I specially added a lot of medicinal herbs, like angelica, goji berries, and ginseng... all of which are good for replenishing qi and blood! You used such a big dose today, you must be feeling weak, drink it while it's hot!"

Is it weak?

How can a man lie!

Jiang Chen gritted his teeth: "Qingyu, is it possible that the medicinal herbs in this soup... might be incompatible?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, I just followed the tutorial online!" Xia Qingyu ladled out a large bowl and held it to his lips.

"Good boy, open your mouth, ah—"

Looking into the girl's bright eyes, Jiang Chen sighed.

Fine, so be it.

Anyway, I have the Ancient Dragon constitution, so I can't be poisoned.

He closed his eyes and, with a death-defying resolve, took a large gulp.

In that instant, a mixture of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors mingled on his tongue, as if a rock concert was being held on his tongue.

"How...how is it?" Xia Qingyu asked nervously.

Jiang Chen suppressed the urge to spit out the soup, swallowed it forcefully, and then forced out a smile that looked worse than crying.

"It tastes good."

"Really?!" Xia Qingyu was as happy as a child.

"Then drink more! This whole pot is yours!"

Jiang Chen: "..."

Just as Jiang Chen was enjoying this lovingly prepared dinner with mixed feelings of pain and joy, the doorbell of the villa suddenly rang.

"Who is it? It's so late."

Xia Qingyu ran to open the door.

Standing outside the door was a short-haired woman in military uniform, looking dashing and spirited.

She looked at Xia Qingyu who opened the door, then at Jiang Chen who was drinking "poison" inside, her expression somewhat serious.

"Excuse me, is Jiang Chen here?"

"I'm from the National Special Security Bureau. I need his assistance in investigating the Howling Waters."

Jiang Chen put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and his eyes instantly sharpened.

Special Security Bureau?

It seems that my commotion in the secret realm has attracted the attention of those above.

However, this is just right.

To gain a foothold in this world, relying solely on schools is insufficient. Connecting with national-level forces might be a faster way to unravel the secrets of this world and Xia Qingyu's origins.

"I am here."

Jiang Chen stood up and straightened his clothes.

"What's the matter? Come in and tell me."

......

The atmosphere in the living room of Villa Qianlongyuan No. 1 was somewhat subtle.

Jiang Chen sat on the sofa, still holding the bowl of unfinished black chicken soup.

This thing has now become his best cover prop. Whenever the female officer looks over, he pretends to lower his head and drink soup to hide his urge to laugh.

The short-haired woman in military uniform sat opposite me, her back ramrod straight, like a javelin.

Her name is Ye Hongyu, the leader of the Special Security Bureau's action team, a level 45 fourth-tier powerhouse.