Seeing only one opponent remaining, Shen Xiao felt much more relaxed.
He cast a quick glance toward the car, giving Lu Qingyue a secret signal to prepare for a surprise attack.
"Rank one?" Cao Wei laughed cynically, even as he trembled seeing his comrades dead.
"How dare you challenge me!"
Shen Xiao didn't answer.
He reached into his armor pocket, pulled out a bottle containing a clear blue liquid-a high-grade spiritual energy recovery potion-and downed it in one gulp.
However, in the eyes of the others, it looked as if he were swigging one of the forbidden potions they had found earlier.
"You... you drank it?!" Lian Mao shouted from a distance, his eyes widening in horror.
He assumed Shen Xiao had consumed a Life-Burning Potion.
"Don't do it, Kid! That will burn away your lifespan!"
Shen Xiao ignored him.
He needed an excuse to explain why his spiritual energy wasn't running out despite unleashing S-class moves.
Cao Wei, feeling cornered, had no other choice. He pulled out his own bottle and drank it.
"If I have to die, I'm taking you with me!"
BOOM!
Cao Wei's body blazed.
His power surged from rank three to rank four.
He began chanting an A-class technique.
Exploding Sun Transformation.
A giant fireball two meters in diameter condensed in his palm, shrinking down to the size of a basketball with incredibly intense heat.
"Fire element sparring? Interesting," Shen Xiao muttered.
He spread his palm.
With 100% proficiency, Shen Xiao used the exact same technique.
Exploding Sun Heavenly Transformation.
The difference was that Shen Xiao's fireball started with a five-meter radius before being compressed.
Shen Xiao intentionally held back his power so that it was only twice as strong as Cao Wei's.
If he unleashed his true strength, this entire area would vanish, and that would be very difficult to explain to the Association agents.
DUARRR!
The two fireballs collided in mid-air, creating a heatwave that illuminated the night sky and scorched the surrounding trees.
Cao Wei turned deathly pale.
Why?!
He's only rank one, but why is his elemental mastery so perfect, as if he's been practicing for decades inside the womb?
Every second he used this energy, Cao Wei could feel the skin on the back of his hands starting to wrinkle.
He was aging rapidly. One minute of using this power had already burned two years of his life.
Amidst the swirling smoke, a small shadow crept up behind Cao Wei.
Lu Qingyue, already in full armor, moved soundlessly.
Shen Xiao discreetly released a spark of the lightning element to paralyze Cao Wei's nerves for a split second.
"Now, Qingyue!" Shen Xiao shouted.
Lu Qingyue emerged from the darkness, raising a baseball bat high above her head.
With eyes closed out of fear but hands steady, she slammed the bat into Cao Wei's back.
BRACK! BRACK!
Cao Wei collapsed, his nerves numb from Shen Xiao's lightning, leaving him unable to dodge.
Lu Qingyue continued to strike in a panic until Shen Xiao caught her wrist.
"That's enough, Qingyue. Don't crush his head, we need him alive," Shen Xiao whispered softly.
The battle ended.
Cao Wei lay sprawled on the ground, his hair having turned drastically white due to the potion's effects.
Lao Shi and Lian Mao approached limping.
Their faces were filled with both gratitude and deep regret.
"Thank you, Lad... you saved our lives," Lao Shi said in a raspy voice.
Ding!
[Gained Lao Shi's favorability, Fate Ticket +0.05]
Ding!
[Gained Lian Mao's favorability, Fate Ticket +0.05]
Shen Xiao only offered a faint smile. Even though the tickets from them were meager, at least the mission was a success.
"It's nothing, Senior. It was teamwork. If Qingyue hadn't ambushed from behind, it might have been harder," Shen Xiao said, trying to share the credit with his partner.
"But still..." Lian Mao looked at Shen Xiao with pity.
"To save us, you drank that potion. You must have lost four or five years of your life just now."
Hearing that, Lu Qingyue froze.
Tears began to well up behind her helmet.
Lifespan?
Shen Xiao sacrificed his lifespan to save me?
"Lifespan?" Qingyue asked with a trembling voice.
"Why would his lifespan be reduced?"
"He drank the Life-Burning Potion to match that rank four earlier, Child," Lao Shi explained sadly.
"Every move he made just now... was paid for with his own life vitality."
Qingyue stared at Shen Xiao, her heart heavy with overwhelming guilt and emotion.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiao could only scratch his head, feeling a bit guilty for lying so convincingly.
...
"Shen Xiao! Why didn't you just let me drink it?!" Lu Qingyue burst into tears.
She hugged Shen Xiao's arm tightly, as if afraid he might fade away.
"You shouldn't have thrown away your life for me!"
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
Shen Xiao fell silent, looking at the girl now leaning against his chest.
Wait a second... you were inside the car, right? Which eye exactly saw me drink that potion?
He briefly wondered if the future Empress was acting, but the system never lied.
If the emotion were fake, the system wouldn't give him 100 tickets at once.
This meant this innocent girl truly believed the nonsense the Association agents had spouted.
This Empress... she's so sweet. I want to kiss her... Even if I sold her, she'd probably still help me count the money, Shen Xiao thought with a mix of endearment and amusement.
"Forget it, I couldn't let you take the risk. Of course, I had to be the one to do it," Shen Xiao said, his tone as dramatic as possible.
"Shen Xiao..." Qingyue's heart felt like it was being shredded.
The thought of Shen Xiao losing five years of his life for her sake made her chest tighten.
Ding!
[Fate Ticket +100]
"Don't cry. We're safe, that's what matters. Thanks to your brave ambush, I didn't have to use more power. Otherwise, I might be an old man by now," Shen Xiao comforted her, wiping away her tears with a tissue.
Ding!
[Fate Ticket +100]
Three hundred tickets in an instant! Shen Xiao felt a little guilty.
He was reaping a massive profit while this girl sobbed her heart out.
But oh well, he'd compensate her with a luxury gift later.
"Don't cry anymore, if you keep crying, I feel my soul getting older," Shen Xiao joked.
Lian Mao approached and reminded them, "There might be a bit of the potion's effect lingering. Shen Xiao must have total rest to slow down the energy drain."
"In that case... Shen Xiao, let me help you back to the car to rest," Qingyue said obediently.
...
Inside the car with the blown-out tire, they had to wait for help to arrive.
Lao Shi explained the side effects of the Life-Burning Potion in detail to Qingyue. Although this was classified information, he felt he owed his life to Shen Xiao.
"The effect will leave the body extremely weak for three days. He needs plenty of rest and nutritious food," Lao Shi explained. He then handed his business card to Shen Xiao. "If you need any help in the future, contact me."
"Thank you, Senior Lao Shi," Shen Xiao replied politely.
Ding!
[Fate Ticket +0.05]
"Me too, Kid. Call me if there's any trouble," Lian Mao added.
Ding!
[Fate Ticket +0.01]
Only 0.01?!
Shen Xiao cursed internally.
Your thanks isn't sincere at all! I should have just let you die earlier!
Seeing Qingyue still looking at him with worry, Shen Xiao decided to launch his final acting strike.
"Cough! Cough... cough!" Shen Xiao coughed harshly, his body trembling.
"Shen Xiao! What's wrong?!" Qingyue panicked.
"I... I'm fine. It's just that my whole body feels weak. This car seat is a bit hard... if I had something soft to lean on, maybe I'd feel better."
Shen Xiao glanced at Qingyue's lap with a withered look.
"Could I lean on your lap? Ah, forget it... a man and a woman shouldn't..."
"It's okay! You can!" Qingyue cut him off quickly.
She remembered Lao Shi's words that Shen Xiao would be very weak.
Without hesitation, she pulled Shen Xiao's head and placed it on her soft lap.
Wow... so fragrant, Shen Xiao thought, closing his eyes with delight.
Who would have thought he could sleep on the future Empress's lap like this?
"Do you feel any better?" Qingyue asked softly, stroking Shen Xiao's forehead.
"Yes, much better. You're a big help, Qingyue."
Ding!
[Fate Ticket +100]
...
Watching the "romantic drama" in the back seat, Lian Mao felt inspired.
He thought, Is this how young people do things these days? Pretending to be sick to get attention?
Lian Mao tried to circulate his spiritual energy, forcing himself to cough until real blood came out from his lingering injuries. He turned to Lao Shi, who was sitting in the driver's seat.
"Cough! Cough! Cough... Shi... Shi..."
Lao Shi turned with a cold face. "Cough outside, this is my car! Don't get blood on my upholstery!"
Lian Mao went silent, quickly swallowing the blood back into his mouth with bitterness.
He looked back, saw Shen Xiao being pampered in Qingyue's lap, and felt that his world was unfair.
Junior... Senior Shen Xiao, can you teach me that way? I'll pay whatever the tuition is...
Ding!
[Gained Lian Mao's admiration, Fate Ticket +0.05]