Chapter 7: A Price for Power

The next day.

Cheng Lan, as usual, arrived just as the bustling classroom was at its liveliest.

“Did you see it last night? A car just vanished while driving!”

“Yeah, saw it. Clearly AI-generated.”

“Honestly, it really looked like it.”

“Still on about AI? That video’s been completely scrubbed from the internet; you can’t find it anywhere! Why would they block it if it were just AI?”

“Besides, it’s not just us. I saw videos circulating from the Blue Alliance and the Northern Territories showing people, cars, and even trees mysteriously disappearing.”

“W-what?! Really?!”

“Seriously! I saw it in a QQ group  yesterday too!”

“Could it be a spiritual energy resurgence ? Sigh, is my Emperor’s potential finally impossible to hide…?”

“Maybe it’s a prelude to the end of the world, who knows.”

“I don’t care, I’ll take action.”

Cheng Lan sat quietly in his seat, listening to his classmates’ chattering discussions.

Due to the ‘World Rifts,’ bizarre disappearances were occurring across the globe.

In this era of global interconnectedness and rapid information dissemination, people had easily noticed the anomalies.

However, nations had, by unspoken agreement, chosen to suppress all information regarding these ‘disappearances’ for the time being, to prevent widespread panic.

Having nothing better to do, Cheng Lan decided to immediately begin his daily ‘internal competition’ .

Thanks to the ‘World Rifts,’ he distinctly felt that Blue Star’s anomalous energy was significantly more abundant than yesterday.

Still, compared to Blue Star in his previous life, it was but a drop in the ocean.

His plan had already failed; Qin Jinxuan had ultimately awakened her abilities.

Now, he could only rely on his ‘head start’ advantage, constantly ‘snowballing’ his power, so he could better suppress her in the future.

Just as Cheng Lan was about to embark on his ‘stormy absorption’  a voice broke his concentration.

“Hah—Good morning, Cheng Lan.” Qin Jinxuan, dragging her weary steps, came and settled into the seat beside Cheng Lan.

“Morning,” Cheng Lan replied with a nod, then immediately resumed his ‘internal competition’ mode.

‘That’s it?’ Qin Jinxuan pouted, thoroughly displeased as she watched Cheng Lan enter his ‘self-isolation’  state.

She hadn’t slept a wink last night; every time she closed her eyes, she felt as though dinosaurs, mosquitoes, and all sorts of chaotic anomalous beasts were about to leap out of her mind.

Yet, more than these beasts, what truly stirred her heart was the awakening of her abilities!

‘Come on, these are superpowers!’

Recalling Cheng Lan’s words that in her previous life she had been a formidable, peerless Sword Immortal, Qin Jinxuan couldn’t help but lose herself in fantasies.

She envisioned herself wielding an ice sword, ‘a single blade bringing frost to fourteen provinces’ .

Unfortunately, despite her enthusiastic attempts last night to summon another ice sword just for fun, no matter how much she concentrated or how hard she tried, the ice sword simply refused to manifest.

It seemed that any questions regarding her abilities would have to wait until she could consult Cheng Lan tomorrow.

Ultimately, she could only lie helplessly on her bed, staring at the ceiling, fantasizing about how she would have faced the Tyrannosaurus Rex alone yesterday, and how she might have, like Cheng Lan, severed its leg with a single sword strike.

Now, sitting in the classroom and seeing Cheng Lan’s complete disinterest in engaging with her, Qin Jinxuan reluctantly abandoned the idea of striking up a conversation.

She casually pulled a test paper from her desk, preparing to return to the life of an ‘ordinary high school student’.

Then she discovered—

She couldn’t focus on studying at all!

She would rather be dragged back into some ‘anomalous beast world’ and battle those creatures for three hundred rounds with her superpowers than do this wretched test paper.

However, Qin Jinxuan’s torment had only just begun—

She listened as her classmates excitedly debated various theories about the ‘disappearance’ incidents, each presenting their arguments with conviction.

Yet, knowing the truth, she could only desperately suppress it within herself.

Firstly, even if she were to blurt out the whole truth, whether others would believe her remained a huge question.

Secondly, she observed the authorities actively trying to suppress the matter, preventing the news from spreading.

Cheng Lan, too, hadn’t revealed yesterday’s events to any classmates.

She understood clearly that everything about the ‘otherworld’ had to be kept secret for now.

But what tormented Qin Jinxuan most was this—

An individual who knew everything about these occurrences sat right beside her, yet she found it inconvenient to ask questions, and he showed no intention of divulging anything further to her.

Thus, Qin Jinxuan finally endured until dismissal.

From the podium, the homeroom teacher had barely announced the end of class when Cheng Lan immediately slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed out of the classroom.

On the other side, seeing this, Qin Jinxuan hastily gathered her belongings and jogged to follow him.

“Cheng Lan!” Just as he exited the teaching building, Cheng Lan heard a familiar voice call out from behind him.

He paused, turning to look.

He watched as Qin Jinxuan hurried towards him, her light blue hair gently fluttering in the breeze.

“What is it, Jinxuan?”

“Uh… well…” Qin Jinxuan stopped beside Cheng Lan, slightly out of breath, unsure of how to begin.

‘In any case, I need to quickly find a topic.’

“Cheng Lan, those disappearances yesterday…”

“Yes, they’re all real.”

“Then… what about the people who disappeared?”

“If they’re lucky, they came back, just like you.

If not, they might be stuck there forever.”

Hearing Cheng Lan’s reply, Qin Jinxuan fell silent.

If it hadn’t been for Cheng Lan’s help yesterday, would she truly have returned alive from the ‘anomalous beast world,’ just as in her previous life?

A wave of lingering fear washed over her.

But in the brief moment she was lost in thought, Cheng Lan had already continued walking towards the school gate.

“Wait!” Qin Jinxuan chased after him again.

“What is it? Do you have more questions?” Cheng Lan frowned slightly, a hint of impatience in his tone.

“I… I tried to summon the ice sword last night, but it just wouldn’t work no matter what I did.” She clasped her hands in front of her, her fingers subtly clenching and then slowly relaxing.

“Oh—” Cheng Lan realized, “You want me to teach you how to use your ability?”

“Mhm, mhm!” Seeing that he understood her meaning, the girl nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling like stars.

“I won’t tell you~” Cheng Lan said, continuing to walk forward.

“Wh-why not!” Qin Jinxuan hastily moved in front of him, blocking his path.

“Sigh,” Cheng Lan let out a slight sigh. “Jinxuan, do you remember what I told you our relationship was in our previous lives?”

“Arch-rivals?” She blinked.

“Exactly.

Have you ever seen someone with nothing better to do help their arch-rival grow stronger?” Cheng Lan spread his hands, speaking with a hint of exasperation.

“Ah…” Qin Jinxuan was instantly speechless.

“Alright, don’t even think about it,” Cheng Lan said, walking around her and continuing on his way.

“Wait!” Qin Jinxuan called out to Cheng Lan again. “I can pay!”

The keyword triggered an immediate halt in Cheng Lan’s steps.

“How much?” He turned to look at Qin Jinxuan.

Qin Jinxuan extended five slender, jade-like fingers, signaling ‘five’.

“Five thousand?” Cheng Lan shook his head. “Too little.”

“Fifty thousand!” Qin Jinxuan stated seriously. “Per session!”

“Deal!”

“How do I get paid?” he asked eagerly.

“How about… WeChat ?” Qin Jinxuan quickly pulled out her phone and displayed her QR code. “Perfect, we haven’t even exchanged contact info yet.”

“Okay!”

The two immediately exchanged contact information, and Qin Jinxuan promptly transferred fifty thousand yuan to Cheng Lan.

“So, today…?” the girl asked, full of anticipation.

“Not today,” Cheng Lan waved dismissively. “I have something to do tonight.”

“You wouldn’t be…?” Qin Jinxuan’s eyes darted, as if a thought had struck her.

“Exactly what you’re thinking.

Don’t even think about following me; the World Rift I’m heading to this time is extremely dangerous.” Cheng Lan walked out of the school gate without looking back.

“Alright…” Qin Jinxuan said, a touch of disappointment in her voice, as she watched Cheng Lan’s retreating figure.

However, she quickly brightened up again.

Currently, the person who understood anomalous abilities best in the entire world was right by her side.

If she could just stay close to him…

Qin Jinxuan’s eyes glinted as a plan formed in her mind, and she immediately sprang into action.