Fly Up

Qiao Xin had expected Ye Chuan to hesitate a bit, but when he straightforwardly admitted he wanted money, she took out her phone without further ado.

"I only have a little over 500,000 in cash on hand right now. Will that do?"

"If you need more, I can ask the butler to arrange it," she added, assuming Ye Chuan might be dissatisfied with the amount. Truthfully, most of her funds were tied up in the bank, and withdrawing them wouldn’t be quick.

"Heh? You even have a butler?" Ye Chuan immediately pulled out his bank details for the transfer. "500,000 is fine. I’m not greedy—small business, you know? Whatever you can spare is good enough."

Small business?

Do you make a habit of rescuing people?

Suppressing the urge to retort, Qiao Xin chatted with him for a while before asking, "Can I get your contact info?"

"What for?" Ye Chuan took a step back, eyeing her warily.

Seeing him act as if she were some kind of thief, Qiao Xin bristled. Men usually jumped at the chance to get her number, yet this guy was acting like she’d swindle him?!

For the first time, she felt a strange frustration—a sense that her charm was being completely ignored.

"Never mind. I’m just glad I was rescued," Qiao Xin sighed. At least her safety was guaranteed.

"How glad?" Ye Chuan asked offhandedly.

Qiao Xin: "…"

If you don’t want to talk, then don’t.

Just then, flashing red and blue lights appeared in the distance—the police she’d called earlier had arrived.

"The cops are here. You—" She turned to speak, only to find Ye Chuan had already vanished. She glanced inside the car, scanned the nearby fields, then looked back at the groaning men on the ground.

Wait, where’d he go?

How does someone that big just disappear?

Soon, the police car stopped, and an officer in uniform hurried out. "Director Qiao, we’re sorry for the delay. Are you alright?"

Qiao Xin shook her head. "I’m fine."

Aside from rope marks on her wrists, she was unharmed. The men had only meant to hand her over to someone else, not hurt her.

"Captain Zhang, all these men have fractures," another officer reported.

"Fractures?" Captain Zhang frowned. Qiao Xin was the only one here—how had she taken down three burly men? Even an unarmed grown man would struggle with that.

Hearing their exchange, Qiao Xin thought of Ye Chuan’s inexplicable disappearance and sighed. "It’s a long story. Let’s just say I got lucky and someone saved me."

"That person—"

"He’s gone. Let’s head back first." She shook her head and got into the police car.

Still, she opened her phone, staring at the Pikachu avatar from the money transfer, lost in thought.

The three men were loaded into the police car, while the scene was preserved for evidence. The car would be towed after forensics finished.

Once the police left, Ye Chuan finally emerged from the shadows.

"Not bad. A night out, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and 500,000 in the bag." He grinned, watching the taillights fade into the distance.

With power, making money really was easier.

Maybe I should just wander around and see if I can rescue a few more damsels in distress.

But he dismissed the thought almost immediately. How many damsel-in-distress scenarios could one realistically stumble upon?

Now, he focused on testing his post-breakthrough abilities.

First, his physical strength and meridians had vastly improved. His spiritual energy could now sustain sword flight for at least an hour or two.

Second, he could now release divine sense to survey his surroundings.

"Divine sense…" Ye Chuan activated it, instantly perceiving everything within a ten-meter radius—pebbles, crawling insects, even the slightest movement.

Handy, but the range was limited. He’d need to grow stronger to expand it. Plus, it drained energy quickly.

After experimenting with his new powers, he checked his innate ability.

Reaching the Heaven-grade Foundation Establishment stage granted him a high-tier divine ability. He rummaged through his logs and finally found it in his inventory.

[Item: One-Qi Clone

High-tier Divine Ability

Creates a doppelgänger capable of executing techniques at 50% power.]

Whoa!

Shadow Clone Jutsu?

Ye Chuan immediately mastered the technique. As knowledge flooded his mind, he formed a hand seal. "One-Qi Clone."

A shadowy figure materialized beside him—featureless, just a silhouette of darkness, likely due to his chaotic spiritual energy.

Ye Chuan performed a mock shoulder strike, and the clone mirrored him perfectly.

"Nice." He summoned his Qingfeng Sword, and the clone conjured a shadowy blade in response.

Channeling spiritual energy, Ye Chuan slashed casually—the clone followed suit.

Two sword auras split the ground, leaving clear gashes.

"Perfect." The clone drained his energy over time, but the ability’s utility was undeniable.

Dismissing the clone, Ye Chuan pondered his next move.

"It’s late. Hailing a cab here’s gonna be a pain." He glanced around—no houses in sight.

Shaking his head, he checked his phone for nearby landmarks.

[Pearl Crematorium]

Ye Chuan: "…"

Would having this location pinned make it even harder to get a ride?

Then, inspiration struck.

He summoned the One-Qi Clone again, manipulating it with spiritual energy. After some practice, he could control the shadow effortlessly.

Next, he steadied the Qingfeng Sword beneath his feet, anchoring himself with spiritual energy, then wrapped the shadow around his body.

Instantly, he was shrouded in darkness—only his gleaming teeth and eyes visible.

"Cool."

With a thought, the Qingfeng Sword lifted off, carrying him into the night sky. Cloaked in shadow, he blended seamlessly into the darkness.

"Fly!"

The sword shot forward, tearing through the air at over a hundred kilometers per hour.