290: Chapter 290 Even after a day's separation, one should look at a person with new eyes.

A smile slowly cracked across Meng De's face, which was frozen blue and purple.

"No need, no need, no need."

Meng De took three steps back, his speech as fast as a wound-up clock.

"Brother Chen, there's no rush. For follow-up matters, just come find me at the City Lord's Manor."

"I'll take my leave first to organize the information."

With that, the dignified Lord of Thousand Light City skipped even the polite farewell and turned to run.

That speed was not at all like a middle-aged man who had stood on a city wall all night and had facial paralysis from the cold wind.

Chen Yu watched Meng De's fluttering robes disappear into the city wall staircase and fell silent for a moment.

Fine.

He sure runs fast.

He withdrew his gaze, propped his hands on the city wall battlements, and looked down at the gray wilderness outside Thousand Light City.

Level 32. He was exactly three levels short of the Level 35 requirement to accept the quest.

It didn't sound like much, but he knew all too well—the higher you went, the more terrifying the amount of experience required for each level became.

The experience bonus from the anniversary event couldn't be wasted.

Better level up first.

As for that legendary quest, he'd do it along the way.

Chen Yu took a deep breath.

Just get it done.

He leapt down from the city wall, summoned his snow-white Giant Rabbit mount, and galloped toward the Tomb of Thousand Lights.

After clearing three runs in Destruction Mode, today's dailies were considered complete.

Chen Yu looked at his experience bar; he was partway through Level 33, still a significant distance from Level 35.

At the Supreme Tower, pushing open the door he was all too familiar with, Chen Yu spotted Hille at first glance.

This exclusive Supreme Tower customer service NPC was clutching a cup of hot tea, wrapped in a blanket she had scrounged from somewhere.

Hearing footsteps, Hille jerked her head up.

Their eyes met.

Hille's expression changed instantly.

It was the look of a corporate drone who had just escaped from a 9-9-6 hell and thought they were finally on vacation, only to look up and see the boss standing at the door with a smile.

"Respected... supreme member." Hille's voice trembled slightly. "Aren't you..."

She wanted to ask, 'Aren't you supposed to be on that quest? Why are you back so soon?'

However, as customer service, she pivoted and said:

"How may I serve you?"

Chen Yu walked over and patted Hille on the shoulder.

"Old partner, had enough rest?"

Hille's lips twitched, and her eyes grew rimmed with red.

"training room." Chen Yu gave a light chuckle, stopping his teasing. "Open another one."

Hille opened her mouth, and her face gradually brightened.

"...Very well, respected supreme member."

training room—activated.

Once he went in, he ground straight through to the next day.

Aside from coming out midway to clear the event dungeon with the Arrow of the Moon trio.

His level had already reached 34.

Chen Yu calculated his experience and kept grinding until nearly noon before emerging from the training room.

Just as he was about to leave the Supreme Tower, he suddenly stopped and turned back.

"Respected supreme member, is there anything else?" Hille asked, puzzled.

Chen Yu didn't answer, merely looking toward the depths of the Supreme Tower.

Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

His main body had been cultivating inside the training room, and his realm had finally broken through again.

Chen Yu smiled at Hille. "I'll perform a 'living person transformation' for you in a bit."

With that, he walked out the door.

Then, he ran Destruction Mode three more times.

Not long after, Chen Yu stepped out of the training room once again.

This was the new clone, Chen Yu.

Level 35, Qi Refining Eighth Layer!

Hille looked at the reappearing Chen Yu, then at the door.

So, this was the "living person transformation"?!

As a system NPC, she naturally knew about the abilities Chen Yu possessed.

She immediately put on her professional smile: "Congratulations to the supreme member on completing your divine technique. Reaching the pinnacle of the world is just around the corner."

"Do you have any further instructions?"

Chen Yu walked to the counter.

"Let's do a draw."

A massive virtual wheel appeared in mid-air, its pointer spinning rapidly.

Since a Heaven-grade item had dropped yesterday, Chen Yu held no expectations for today's drop rate.

The law of conservation of probability applied just as well in the Source Realm system.

The pointer slowly stopped, pointing to a white area.

[Ding! Obtained item: Damaged Leather Pants (Crude)]

A pair of tattered shorts emitting a faint fragrance appeared on the counter.

Hille looked at the leather pants and breathed a sigh of relief.

This was the normal fortune of an Adventurer.

She put on a perfectly timed expression of regret: "The stars seem a bit dim today. The supreme member's luck is poor, but please do not be discouraged. Coming back tomorrow will surely..."

Chen Yu curled his lip and swept the leather pants into his backpack with a wave of his hand.

"I'm off."

He turned and walked toward the main gate.

...

The noon sun was just right, spilling over the wide martial arts field of the City Lord's Manor.

Meng De held a dark-gold longblade, swinging it in the courtyard.

Blade qi crisscrossed, carving intersecting marks into the bluestone slabs on the ground.

He suddenly leapt up, the longblade drawing a half-moon shaped cold flash in the air, shattering a wooden post in front of him.

Wood chips flew everywhere.

Meng De sheathed his blade and stood with his hands behind his back.

He tilted his head back slightly, letting the sunlight hit his face. His expression was stern, his brow carrying a sense of solitary loftiness that seemed to dominate the ages.

The wretchedness of blowing in the cold wind on the city wall last night was long gone. At this moment, his face screamed, "I am terrifyingly strong."

A burst of applause came from the courtyard gate.

Chen Yu walked into the martial arts field, lazily clapping his hands twice.

"Nice bladework."

Meng De turned around and saw Chen Yu, his heart still couldn't help but twitch.

"Brother Chen, you've come. The path of martial arts is like rowing upstream; if you don't advance, you retreat. Our generation must be diligent every day to touch that supreme Great Dao."

Chen Yu stopped and got straight to the point: "Lord City Lord, can I take the quest now?"

Meng De's brow furrowed slightly.

"Brother Chen." He held his hands behind his back and spoke with earnest gravity.

"I told you yesterday that the place where the god fell has extremely distorted laws."

"Though you have the talent to fight above your level, the chasm in cultivation realms cannot be filled by hot-bloodedness alone."

"Young man, avoid being overly ambitious..."

He slowly turned his head, but the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.

His hands behind his back suddenly stiffened.

His eyes stared fixedly at Chen Yu, his face full of disbelief.

Yesterday, this person was Level 32.

After one night, he had jumped three levels, reaching the Level 35 threshold directly?

Meng De swallowed hard, his sternness and loftiness collapsing instantly.

He strode over to Chen Yu, grabbed his hand, squeezed it hard, and spoke with an almost exaggerated excitement.

"Brother Chen! I knew it! I, Meng, have seen countless people. From the first moment I saw you, I knew your skeletal structure was extraordinary—you are a peerless genius, one in ten thousand!"

His change in attitude was so fast it was instantaneous.

Chen Yu forcefully pulled his hand back.

"So, can the quest be accepted?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Meng De's face was flushed with excitement as he turned and made a gesturing motion.

"This heavy responsibility of saving the common people—aside from Brother Chen, in all of Thousand Light City, no second person is fit for the task! Come, let's go to the study to discuss in detail!"

Hearing this, Chen Yu couldn't help but frown slightly.

Why go specifically to the study?

Was the specification of this quest that high?