After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

Deep in the mountains, the roar of huge waves echoed like thunder through the valleys.

A magnificent waterfall cascades down from a towering cliff, its white waters crashing into a deep pool at the bottom, creating a mist that fills the air.

The mist refracted the dappled light, making a huge blue stone by the pool appear and disappear.

The Taoist nun Xuanmiao sat cross-legged on the blue stone, her blue Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze, and her hair tied up with a wooden hairpin exuding a casual air.

Without warning, a man in his late twenties appeared out of thin air more than ten meters behind Xuanmiao.

He wore a black outfit of excellent quality, and his tall, slender figure exuded a profound and steadfast composure.

Chu Changqing's voice drowned out the deafening roar of the water in the valley, reaching Xuanmiao's ears clearly, with a condescending tone: "Tell me, where is Muye?"

Xuanmiao remained seated cross-legged on the bluestone, without even turning his body around.

"Xingyuan has been acting strangely lately, and many people are trying to find him through me."

"I have a grudge against him, and I must find him," Chu Changqing replied sharply.

Xuanmiao turned his head, his eyes, which seemed to see through the cause and effect of the world, scrutinizing Chu Changqing from head to toe: "It's good for a young person to have pride, but you, the sixth-ranked in Xia Shang, want to go looking for the first-ranked in Xia Shang?"

"The ranking of the Queen Mother of the West only represents the strength of the magnetic field. If it weren't for the strict rule against private fights within the Heavenly Pivot, I don't think I would be in sixth place."

Chu Changqing tilted his head slightly, looking at the silver torrent cascading down the cliff, his tone exuding an aura that was impossible to ignore.

"Want to know? It's very expensive."

As one of the world's top intelligence organizations, Weiming has always adhered to the rule that every word is worth its weight in gold. They only answer buyers' questions with the literal meaning of the information provided and never offer any additional details.

Just like last time, the Tianjie Canglu branch spent a great deal of money to find out who killed Luo Xiao.

Xuanmiao only gave the location and general characteristics of the murderer, but did not tell Tianjie that the other party was Mu Ye, the number one in Xia Shang.

……

……

At 7 p.m., the indoor gymnasium of Bailing Institute of Technology was brightly lit.

Under the enormous dome, the stands were packed with students from the school, their voices creating a deafening roar.

On the specially made ring in the center of the stadium, the dull thuds of blows resonated clearly throughout the entire arena.

The second match had entered a heated phase, but the situation was completely dominated by one side.

The third-year student representing Ningchuan University was being forced into retreat by his opponent. His defensive movements became increasingly sluggish and disorganized, and he had several noticeable injuries on his body.

Although Ning Chuan managed to win a game in the first match half an hour earlier, this advantage obviously did not continue into the second match.

In the front row of the audience, Su Nian, Shen Yi, and Fang Cheng sat side by side, next to Wu Ying and Song Shouyi, whom they had met on campus that afternoon.

Seeing his school's contestants dominating the stage, Matsumori unconsciously leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly on his knees.

Wu Ying's cheeks flushed with excitement, and her fists clenched tightly in front of her chest.

They felt the enthusiastic atmosphere of the home crowd and took a deep breath, preparing to shout along with the crowd, but then they caught a glimpse of Su Nian and Shen Yi sitting next to them, and swallowed back the cheers that were about to come out of their mouths.

Su Nian and the others were, after all, students of Ningchuan University, so it was obviously inappropriate to cheer in front of them.

Matsumori Yoshihide coughed lightly, straightened his body slightly, and concealed his excitement.

The situation on the stage became increasingly clear: Ningchuan University's top-tier players had been greatly exhausted, and their defense was full of holes.

Shen Yi couldn't understand the dazzling clash of abilities, but she could see the disadvantage in the situation. She turned to Wu Ying beside her and asked, "Is the last contestant from your school very capable?"

Wu Ying glanced at the arena. This wasn't a secret at Bailing Polytechnic, so she answered naturally, "He's pretty good. He's a senior who was promoted last year and is also a key player in this arena competition. He's the only monthly-level player in our school."

"Month-level, huh?" Fang Cheng muttered under his breath, biting his straw as he sat down beside her.

Although she wasn't a student at Ningda University, she was tied to Su Nian and had gotten here through Lin Ye's connections, so naturally she hoped Ningda University would win.

However, for Bailing Polytechnic, having a monthly-level player participating in the competition is already a trump card they can boast this year.

The students around them, dressed in Bailing Polytechnic uniforms, were still focused on the arena, but their private discussions were not suppressed at all.

"Ningchuan University has faltered this year. In previous years, they had four full-year students, including substitutes, but this year they only have one." A boy in the back row said with barely concealed excitement.

"And I heard that their strongest player, Pei Xiao, isn't here yet. This is definitely an unprecedented period of weakness for Ningda. Our school's third match is between real senior players at the monthly level, while the other team's monthly level player is a freshman. I heard that he was only selected by Xingyuan this year, so his combat experience should be inferior to our senior players. If we win, it'll be something to brag about for a lifetime." Another person huddled together to analyze the situation.

"Ningxia University will have new monthly-level special admissions next year, and there won't be any more opportunities like this to snag a spot. We have to beat them this year!"

The buzzing of the crowd around the stands was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Amidst the clamor, Ningchuan University's Firefly-level player, severely exhausted, was a fraction of a second too slow to dodge a quick attack from his opponent. Bailing University's player seized the opportunity, and a wave of energy formed by his power struck him squarely in the chest.

He lost his balance and tumbled down the edge of the ring, crashing heavily onto the cushioning mat.

The referee immediately waved his flag and blew his whistle.

In the second match, Bailing University of Technology won.

The score is now tied at 1-1.

The entire stadium seemed to be set ablaze, and thousands of students from Bailing Polytechnic University suddenly stood up from their seats, erupting in a deafening cheer.

This declaration of victory pushed all the suspense and pressure towards the final showdown that was about to begin.

In the lounge at the back of the gymnasium, Li Jianming, the president of Bailing Institute of Technology, was standing next to a tall male student in school uniform.

The boy's name is Chen Yue. He is a monthly-level player at Bailing Polytechnic University and the ace player that the entire school has high hopes for.

"Chen Yue, whether Bailing Polytechnic can turn things around in the university league and defeat Ningchuan University this time depends entirely on you."

Chen Yue tightened the protective straps around his wrists, looking very relaxed, with a confident smile on his lips.