These past few days, apart from eating and logging into the game at night, Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and others had either been undergoing grueling, hellish training or sparring with each other. The intensity of their training surpassed what ordinary people could imagine.
Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others had been pushed to their physical limits without even a moment of rest. They had no idea how their bodies were holding up anymore. There were moments when they thought they might die. Many of them had considered giving up, but under the cold mockery of Ci Dao, they gradually persisted. They had their own pride! If they quit, they would never be able to hold their heads up again for the rest of their lives.
They had even lost track of how many days had passed.
After thirty minutes of rest, Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and others finally regained much of their strength.
Nie Yan observed their sparring with Ci Dao. Although Wang Duo and Lin Yi themselves might not have noticed, Nie Yan could clearly see that their combat skills had improved significantly.
Mo Yuntian would likely be very pleased if he saw this. However, Nie Yan still had no clear idea what level of skill was required to pass the 012 Special Forces selection.
Nie Yan could only do his best. He had already imparted the most advanced techniques he knew. As the saying goes, the master leads the student to the door, but the student must cultivate on their own. What they could achieve now depended entirely on their own efforts and potential.
If Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others successfully entered the 012 Special Forces, Mo Yuntian would indeed owe Nie Yan a favor. With someone like Mo Yuntian as a backer, the future development of Tianxia Group would be secured.
Nie Yan believed Ci Dao could handle things here, so he left and returned to his villa.
Nie Yan had a light meal with Xie Yao and then headed to school together.
Xie Yao wore a pink long dress, looking charming and adorable. As they walked along the tree-lined path on campus, many people turned to look. Those who recognized Nie Yan and Xie Yao greeted them as they passed by. Many male students couldn’t help but envy Nie Yan for having such a beautiful and elegant girlfriend.
Nie Yan was reportedly the most disliked person among the male students in the School of Economics and Management, and the reason was simple—he had “stolen” the campus beauty of their department.
However, no one dared to provoke Nie Yan. By now, practically everyone on campus knew that Nie Yan was the leader of Blue Wind Chime. Challenging him was practically a death wish. Moreover, Nie Yan had another name in the game that terrified everyone—Kuangzei Nieyan, the “Frenzied Thief Nieyan.”
“Nie Yan, I heard that in a few days there will be the campus-wide martial arts competition. It starts with matches among different grades, and the top three will compete in the final tournament. Are you going to participate?” Xie Yao hooked Nie Yan’s arm with her right hand. She was still a bit unaccustomed to such an intimate gesture and blushed as she felt the gazes of others.
“I think I’ll pass,” Nie Yan shook his head. His mindset had matured, and he had long outgrown the excitement of chasing trivial awards. He would let Lei Su take this one.
“I heard that winning might earn you some academic exemptions,” Xie Yao said. Although she understood Nie Yan probably didn’t care about such things, she still wanted him to give it a shot.
“We’ll see,” Nie Yan smiled slightly, looking down at Xie Yao. Her beauty was like a blooming lily, quietly captivating everyone’s admiration.
Nie Yan and Xie Yao chatted about some amusing happenings in Huanghai. As they passed by the gymnasium and walked along a small path, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
It was Qin Han!
About two hundred meters away, Qin Han also noticed Nie Yan and turned to look.
Their eyes met. Nie Yan remained expressionless, while Qin Han couldn’t hide the hostility in his gaze.
Qin Han’s Mone Corporation had suffered a major defeat in Samsara. All previous investments were lost. Qin Han himself was hunted down to level zero by the guards of the Empire of Gringard and was forced to delete his character. After selling off all their virtual assets, Mone Corporation withdrew from Samsara. With his failed attempt to join the Heaven King Organization and the collapse of his investments, Qin Han’s prestige within Mone had drastically declined. Although his position as heir remained intact, the days ahead would likely be difficult for him.
Nie Yan only then noticed that standing beside Qin Han was another person, wearing casual business attire. He looked to be around twenty-three or twenty-four, handsome, and slightly taller than Qin Han, exuding a unique charisma.
That person glanced toward Nie Yan, and after whispering something to him, Qin Han smiled faintly.
Qin Han’s attitude toward this person was unusually respectful.
Nie Yan’s gaze swept over the man, feeling a vague sense of familiarity, yet he couldn’t recall where he had seen this person before.
The man and Qin Han walked directly toward Nie Yan.
The man’s facial contours came into Nie Yan’s view. He wore a faint, almost imperceptible smile, exuding an air of superiority. Memories surfaced from Nie Yan’s mind, growing clearer by the second. Suddenly, he remembered who this person was.
He would never forget this face—it was the face of his deepest, most painful memory.
That time when Tang Yao was killed in a bar fight over a girl, this man was the one who led the attack. Nie Yan had arrived too late. The last thing he saw was this man’s face, smirking coldly and being taken away by the police as if it were nothing. At the time, Nie Yan had forced himself to restrain his rage, believing that justice would prevail. But nothing ever came of it. Nie Yan never saw that man again, as if he had vanished from the world.
Tang Yao’s father had some resources and influence, but even so, he was driven to ruin by mysterious forces in the legal battle over Tang Yao’s death, forcing him to return to Ningjiang.
Nie Yan had once hated himself for not killing that man on the spot back then. He had failed to avenge Tang Yao.
Now, in this rebirth, seeing the man again, Nie Yan clenched his fists, barely suppressing the surge of murderous intent rising inside him. He kept reminding himself that this was no longer his past life—it was another timeline. Tang Yao was still alive. But he couldn’t help feeling deeply moved. Although he had been reborn, those memories from his previous life remained vividly etched in his mind.
Tang Yao had grown up with him like a brother. Even in Nie Yan’s darkest times, Tang Yao had quietly supported him, giving him the warmth of brotherhood. Seeing Tang Yao lying dead, eyes wide open in death, and watching the killer walk away freely without being able to avenge him—that pain was something no ordinary person could understand. Many years later, in the quiet of the night, Nie Yan would often look at Tang Yao’s photo, drink heavily, and cry out loud.
Though it was from a past life, every moment was still so vivid.
Nie Yan clenched his fists tightly, his veins bulging.
Xie Yao sensed Nie Yan’s anger and asked with concern, “Nie Yan, what’s wrong?”
Nie Yan took several deep breaths, calming his turbulent emotions. The fact that Tang Yao was still alive somewhat eased his hatred. He gradually calmed down and shook his head. “Nothing.” After regaining his composure, Nie Yan began to rationally assess the situation. In his past life, that man had killed Tang Yao and still walked free, even causing Tang’s father to lose everything in the legal battle. His background must have been formidable. Nie Yan was no longer alone like before—he had many people to protect and many attachments. He couldn’t afford to act recklessly like before, or it would endanger many others. He couldn’t resort to extreme measures like assassination and then just accept death.
Xie Yao was deeply concerned about Nie Yan’s state. Seeing him calm down, she felt relieved. Seeing Qin Han approaching, she guessed it had something to do with him. No matter what conflicts Nie Yan and Qin Han had, or what would happen in the future, she would stand by Nie Yan’s side and face it together.
The murderous intent in Nie Yan’s eyes was only fleeting. First, he needed to find out the man’s background. If he was someone Nie Yan could take on, he wouldn’t mind giving him a good lesson.
The man and Qin Han stopped in front of Nie Yan. His gaze swept over Xie Yao’s face, and for a brief moment, he was visibly impressed by her beauty. But he quickly regained his composure and turned his attention to Nie Yan.
“Hello, I’m Liu Tianshi. People call me Third Brother. I’ve heard a lot about you—Nie Yan from the Mecha Combat Department, and ‘Kuangzei Nieyan’ from the game,” Liu Tianshi said, his expression not showing admiration but rather a scrutinizing look.
He then turned to Xie Yao with what he thought was a charming smile. “Nice to meet you, miss.”
“Hello,” Xie Yao replied politely, still holding Nie Yan’s arm, showing no interest in Liu Tianshi.
Liu Tianshi felt both embarrassed and annoyed.
“Is there anything you need?” Nie Yan asked, his eyes briefly glancing at Liu Tianshi’s fingers. They were pale, slender, and delicate like a woman’s.
“Nothing much. Just saw you and thought I’d come over to say hi,” Qin Han interjected casually.
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll be on our way,” Nie Yan had no interest in chatting with Qin Han.
“If you don’t mind, perhaps we could talk about a deal,” Liu Tianshi said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at Nie Yan.
“What kind of deal?”
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