This kick was absolutely stunning. All of Nie Yan’s classmates present still had in their minds the image of him from junior high school, when he was so frail that even a gust of wind could knock him over. But now, Nie Yan had actually kicked a person weighing around 130-140 pounds and sent him flying. The contrast was immense.
Even Hao Cheng, who had been practicing Sanda since childhood, dared not claim to possess such kicking power. Kicking an average person into flight was already difficult enough, let alone Chu Zhenfei, who was on the basketball team and had trained in Muay Thai, thus possessing excellent physical fitness. That kick just now was extremely fast. Hao Cheng estimated that if he were to face Nie Yan, he would likely also be kicked away without any doubt.
Nie Yan’s dozens of junior high classmates were momentarily stunned, their minds struggling to believe—was this really Nie Yan?
Chu Zhenfei struggled to rise from amidst the debris, but staggered and fell back down. That kick had felt as though his internal organs had shifted position, leaving him with a suffocating sensation in his chest and unable to catch his breath.
“Stop struggling. Just lie there for half an hour,” Nie Yan said in an unusually cold tone.
If Nie Yan had directed that kick at an ordinary person, their ribs would have long been broken. Moreover, Nie Yan had actually held back somewhat when he kicked. Chu Zhenfei, who exercised regularly and had trained in Muay Thai, possessed considerable resistance to physical damage. Therefore, he had only suffered minor internal injuries and would likely recover after lying there for half an hour.
Some service staff and security personnel hurried over from a distance.
Nie Yan patted Guo Huai’s shoulder and said, “We handle things differently. For such a minor character, it’s better to deal with him decisively. As for Shen Yue, if you don’t even have the courage to pursue someone, how can you ever achieve anything in the future?”
Nie Yan unexpectedly spoke openly, and almost everyone present could hear.
Shen Yue wore a puzzled expression. She had feelings for Guo Huai, but had never considered it in terms of a romantic relationship.
Guo Huai glanced at Shen Yue and remained silent in thought.
Nie Yan smiled slightly, looked at the approaching service staff and security personnel in the distance, and said, “I’ll leave those people to you.”
“No problem,” Guo Huai nodded. After Nie Yan’s words, he felt as if a light had been switched on in his mind. To truly become a dominant figure, mere patience and ruthlessness weren’t enough; one must also possess an unparalleled, overwhelming aura. One must know what one wants, know what one must do, and then go forth to achieve and complete it.
The several service staff and security personnel approached aggressively, but upon realizing it was Guo Huai, their faces immediately broke into smiles.
“Young Master, why are you here?” a security guard asked, bowing slightly.
“I’m here with my classmates for a gathering. Please clean up this place and find us another location. As for him, take him to the hospital,” Guo Huai said solemnly, exuding the air of a superior.
“Of course, we’ll handle it immediately,” the security guard nodded.
All the classmates were stunned. Where were they? This was Bi Shui Yun Jian (Breeze Cloud Waters), the province’s top-tier high-end entertainment club, where almost all celebrities and high-ranking officials held their gatherings. The fixed assets of this establishment alone were worth at least several billion, and its network of connections was immeasurable. They hadn’t expected this place to belong to the Guo family. No wonder they had chosen it as the gathering location. Previously, Guo Huai had always been low-key and reserved, leading everyone to assume his family was ordinary. They never imagined that Guo Huai’s family wealth was so staggering.
“Never mind, the party’s been ruined. I suppose no one has the mood anymore. Tang Yao and I should be going. We’ll meet in the game. You can send a private message to Tang Yao,” Nie Yan said calmly, as he already knew this beforehand. In his previous life, Guo Huai had once attempted to protect Nie Yan using his family’s influence, but although their influence was unrivaled within the province, it still fell far short of Cao Xu, Asia’s richest man. Nevertheless, Nie Yan still appreciated Guo Huai’s kindness.
“Alright,” Guo Huai nodded.
As Nie Yan and Tang Yao prepared to leave, many classmates, seeing that there was nothing more to stay for, also began to take their leave. Some of the more opportunistic classmates approached Guo Huai to chat, while a few bold and outgoing girls approached Tang Yao and Nie Yan, as Nie Yan’s performance today had left them deeply impressed.
Nie Yan glanced at them. He had little interest in these girls, but since they were classmates, he politely feigned interest.
“We’re off then.”
Nie Yan and Tang Yao got into the car. The vehicle, named “Meng Hu” (Fierce Tiger), started up and sped away along the highway outside the plaza.
“That’s Meng Hu! It’s said that a single car like that costs several billion. So Guo Huai, Tang Yao, and Nie Yan were all so wealthy.”
“Yeah, how come we never noticed before?”
“They five have always been pretty low-key, except for Hao Cheng who likes fighting and Zhao Li who is handsome.” In fact, they paid more attention to Zhao Li, followed by Hao Cheng. As for Guo Huai, Nie Yan, and Tang Yao, they were the kind of people who would be unnoticeable in a crowd.
“Nie Yan’s kick earlier was incredible. Chu Zhenfei flew straight back. I’ve seen several black belts in Taekwondo, but none were that impressive.” A few girls chatted animatedly, as the day’s events had left an enormous impression on them.
These opinions were of no concern to Nie Yan. In his previous life, when he was down on his luck, these people had avoided him at all costs. In this life, why should he bother with them? However, this class reunion had still been somewhat rewarding for Nie Yan, as he had reunited with his old friends and finalized plans for the guild’s development.
Tang Yao dropped Nie Yan off at home before heading to work. Nie Yan spent the evening training and studying at home before logging back into the game.
Nie Yan teleported to Tessoy Township. His “Mist Dust” was nearly depleted and needed replenishing.
He crossed the central street of the town and climbed the wooden ladder into a treehouse. Looking around, he found nothing had changed compared to his previous life. The wooden door was weathered and cracked from years of wind and rain. Written on it was: “Home of Alchemist Sandifus.”
Sandifus was a peculiar old man who often wore a black robe and secluded himself in a corner studying alchemy. His alchemical creations were unmatched among mid-level NPCs. One of them was the “Mist Dust” Nie Yan had used that day.
Most players wouldn’t come here until reaching levels twenty to thirty. Moreover, the items here were extremely expensive, often costing several gold coins, or even tens of gold coins. Such high-end goods were affordable only to a select few.
Nie Yan pushed the door open and saw the old man studying alchemy in the corner. His face was obscured, and only his withered, bark-like hands were visible.
“What do you need?” a low, hoarse voice spoke without turning around, as Sandifus continued his work.
Nie Yan opened the merchant interface and scanned the items. Only the first few were affordable. “Mist Dust” and “Intermediate Flash Dust” were particularly useful. “Mist Dust” cost five gold coins per set, while “Intermediate Flash Dust” cost three gold coins per set. “Intermediate Flash Dust” had effects similar to “Basic Flash Dust” and was effective against monsters under level thirty. Nie Yan bought one set of each for future use. Other items were currently unnecessary.
He glanced at the last item in the merchant interface. It looked like a simple iron ball, unremarkable at first glance. However, Nie Yan knew it was an excellent tool for leveling up.
“Basic Area-of-Effect Magic Bomb: Deals 200 damage within a 5×5 yard radius. Requires 10 Intelligence. Effective against monsters under level fifty. 300% bonus damage against mechanical units. Ineffective against elite creatures. Throwing distance depends on Strength. Alchemical Curse: Do not use this item to attack players, or you will incur the Curse of Painful Death.”
Curse of Painful Death: Instant death. All attributes permanently reduced by 10%.
The attack effect of the Basic Area-of-Effect Magic Bomb was quite significant, but its price was exorbitant—ten gold coins per set, meaning one gold coin for two bombs. Such items were currently unaffordable for most players, so Nie Yan had to be cautious about purchasing them. However, once he had more money, these bombs could be used for grinding experience. While using them against regular monsters was somewhat wasteful, they were quite effective against mechanical units, especially when farming monsters in Eternal City.
As for the Curse of Painful Death, using these bombs against players would often result in more loss than gain. It was a restriction—otherwise, if these items could be used in player-versus-player combat, they would be terrifying.
After purchasing the Mist Dust and Intermediate Flash Dust, Nie Yan exited the treehouse and returned to Carol City via the teleportation circle.
Nie Yan’s voice chat buzzed—it was Tang Yao.
“They’ve contacted me. Hao Cheng’s character is named Purple Frenzy Blade, Zhao Li’s is named Xiao Chong, and Guo Huai’s is named Wind-Watching Snail. I’ve asked them to start creating a guild under your name. I’ll be the guild leader, and I’ve already invited Yu Lan and others into the guild.”
“Guo Huai is very capable. We can leave it to them to handle.”
“You should check the official website. It’s Guo Huai’s team that set it up.”
Upon hearing this, Nie Yan opened the official website and entered the Griland Empire section. There, the most popular pinned thread bore the title: “A powerful player emerges—Ao Fa Yao Zi soars into the sky.”
Below were numerous replies and discussions—how Ao Fa Yao Zi leveled up, and whether he could dethrone Po Tian from the leaderboard. There were tens of thousands of people supporting Tang Yao in defeating Po Tian. Although Po Tian, under the name “Unrighteous Deeds,” firmly held the top spot, there was growing unrest beneath the surface. Once someone gathered this force, it would be enough to shake the foundation of Po Tian’s dominance.
“What should we do next?” Tang Yao asked. “Should we go back and help Guo Huai? After all, the guild has just been established and there’s a lot to manage.”
“It’s not important. We should focus on leveling up first. Once you reach the top of the leaderboard and defeat Po Tian, that will be the greatest support for them,” Nie Yan said calmly.
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