84: Happy cooperation

Ximen Chuifeng was surprised by Zhuang Sanming's ambition; he hadn't expected someone so young to plan so far ahead.

Befriending such a person didn't seem like a loss.

"Alright, then the three of us will each contribute one-third, and I'll cover the two extra spirit stones," Ximen Chuifeng said.

"Pleasure working with you," Zhuang Sanming extended his right hand.

"Pleasure working with you," Ximen Chuifeng also extended his right hand and shook Zhuang Sanming's... At 155 Fortress, Beast Taming Bureau.

Wang Yi began his devilish training again, only having time to rest in the evening, so he went upstairs to find Feng Zhi.

Feng Zhi had told Wang Yi yesterday about what Ge Yunying said after he returned from the forest by car, and during his training today, Wang Yi's mind was filled with various conflicting thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate.

"Wang Yi? Why are you here? What happened to you? Why is your face injured?"

Feng Zhi opened the door and asked when he saw Wang Yi outside with an injured face.

Wang Yi shook his head, walked in, and plopped down on Feng Zhi's bed, sighing, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. It's just that I can't go find Yunying; what if she misunderstands..."

He knew Ge Yunying was strong-willed, and he worried she might mistake his good intentions for charity.

"She won't. From her expression, I don't think she misunderstood," Feng Zhi said.

"Really?" Wang Yi looked at Feng Zhi, partly believing him but also fearing that Feng Zhi was just saying that to comfort him.

"Don't you believe me? Of course, it's true. Oh, don't think so much. Since the Director won't let you out, just keep training. Once you meet the Director's standards, you'll naturally get some good rest."

Feng Zhi analyzed.

Wang Yi thought about it carefully; it seemed to make some sense.

"This period of special training is very tiring. Sometimes, Master demands too much of me, which isn't a good thing," he sighed, leaning against the headboard.

Feng Zhi blinked. In fact, he was also very tired every night he secretly worked hard, but his exhaustion came from cultivation, not actual combat.

"Why don't you ask the Director again if he can let you take one more day off?"

"Forget it. Master won't agree," Wang Yi directly denied. "I'll persevere for a few more days. I feel that under this special training, I'm improving very quickly; I'm almost touching the threshold of Level Four."

"Really?" Feng Zhi's eyes widened in shock.

Wang Yi hadn't taken the car these past few days, and he had thought Wang Yi wouldn't level up so quickly. Who knew... "Yes, it seems I've reached the peak of Level Three, just short of breaking through that bottleneck," Wang Yi said.

Each level of a Beast Tamer is divided into three stages: minor accomplishment, major accomplishment, and peak. Reaching the peak stage means one is about to break through the bottleneck.

Feng Zhi calculated. Wang Yi was only twenty years old this year. In the entire 155 Fortress, it seemed... there was nobody else who could reach Level Four Beast Tamer at this age, right?

However, there weren't many Beast Tamers in 155 Fortress to begin with, and most of them had joined the Beast Taming Bureau. The Director's three disciples were all Beast Tamers, but none of them leveled up as quickly as Wang Yi, which was why he took Wang Yi as his only personal disciple.

"Then I'll be counting on you to protect me!" Feng Zhi looked at Wang Yi with admiration. A genius was a genius; no matter how hard he worked, he still couldn't level up as fast as him.

However, his long period of effort had finally paid off; he had gained another Qi Vortex, though he didn't know when the next one would condense.

Wang Yi smiled and said, "Of course I'll protect you; what's our relationship? Alright, I won't talk anymore. I'll rest for a bit and then go back. I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Okay."

After Wang Yi left, the person next door to Feng Zhi poked his head out, glanced at Feng Zhi disdainfully, and deliberately said, "How much of a lackey; I haven't seen them give you any benefits."

Feng Zhi was used to such sarcasm. He didn't back down, rolled his eyes at the other person, and snorted, "That's still better than some people who can't even be a lackey when they want to."

"You! A small person getting ahead, humph! You two are ultimately not from the same world. When he becomes strong in the future, let's see how you'll still be his lackey!"

The person finished speaking and closed his door, seemingly afraid of being retorted by Feng Zhi.

Feng Zhi glanced at the neighbor. What good was just being verbally clever? It wasn't as if Wang Yi paid him any mind.

Some people always fantasized about instantly reaching the top. In reality, he and Wang Yi merely did missions and cultivated together; becoming friends with Wang Yi didn't mean he could gain the Director's favor.

Wasn't he still secretly working hard every night?

...Outside 155 Fortress, at Xiao Shen's home.

Through his efforts during this period, Xiao Shen had successfully added another Qi Vortex, bringing him one step closer to reaching Level Four.

Liu Ling'er came to find him almost every day. The two of them would go to Zheng Jinfeng's house for meals and simultaneously teach her how to control her elemental energy.

Zheng Jinfeng had been cultivating extremely diligently during this time. Liu Ling'er watched, feeling endless heartache, but no matter how she tried to persuade her, Zheng Jinfeng would only nod in agreement and then continue to do as she pleased.

Xiao Shen told her not to try too hard to persuade Zheng Jinfeng for now. The bitterness in Zheng Jinfeng's heart couldn't be resolved in a short time; it needed time.

All Liu Ling'er could do was teach her all her experience to help her improve her strength as soon as possible.

"Is it like this?"

In the courtyard, Zheng Jinfeng thrust out a sword, its aura sharp and imbued with elemental energy.

Xiao Shen's eyes widened in surprise: "Yes, that's it! Sister-in-law, you learn things too quickly!"

Indeed, during this time, Xiao Shen and Liu Ling'er were often surprised by Zheng Jinfeng's combat talent. Although her cultivation progress was rather average, in actual combat, she was much stronger than most people.

Even compared to his past self, she was not far behind.

Zheng Jinfeng smiled and said, "Then can I learn the next move?"

Attaching elemental energy to weapons was something Xiao Shen and Liu Ling'er taught her. She had already tried it with a saber, a sword, and even a staff, and she could skillfully use elemental energy with all of them.

"You can, but we should eat now. Let's practice after we eat," Xiao Shen said.

Zheng Jinfeng did not object: "Mhm."

After she finished speaking, she walked into the kitchen, while Liu Ling'er took the opportunity to talk to Xiao Shen: "Sister-in-law's mental state is very poor. What should we do?"

"I don't know either."

Xiao Shen recalled when his eighteen years of effort became a joke, he too had thought about ending his life. But when he truly found himself in the Ferocious Beast Forest, full of danger, he instinctively fought for survival.

However, if he hadn't encountered that car then, he probably would have died by then, dead in the belly of that Level Three Red-Ringed Snake.

"Oh, right, we haven't taken the car today. After dinner, why don't we use the excuse of taking the car to let Sister-in-law relax for a while? How about that?" Xiao Shen suggested.