Hundreds of monkeys felt the insultingly provocative challenge simultaneously; the hundreds of chittering, screeching calls echoing through the forest were enough to make one’s scalp crawl.

Qian Jin’s eyebrows drew together slightly toward his brow. It was as if a wave of cold current instantly swept through the jungle, the temperature seeming to drop continuously. The monkeys’ strange cries ceased in unison; they huddled close, pushing and shoving each other, their furious eyes now filled only with dread and panic.

Seated right in the center, having always enjoyed the servitude of the troop, the Monkey King was shoved forward by the surrounding monkeys until he was right in front of Qian Jin. That tuft of red fur—not a single strand remained—was presented with both sets of claws.

Monkeys are creatures of keen intuition. In just an instant, they sensed that this person before them was different from the occasional visitors. This one felt more like a bipedal magical beast; incurring his wrath would bring unimaginable trouble.

Qian Jin looked at the monkey fur in his hand and gave a wry smile: “If Master or Uncle Black knew I was bullying monkeys, would they scold me for being useless?”

“Sigh…” Qian Jin turned and walked toward the gathering place of the Flamingoes, sighing with emotion. “Two years ago, facing this troop of monkeys, I probably would have needed to use some trickery just to get a piece of their fur. Today, I obtained it so easily. Two years… two years! The changes have been too fast, too vast.”

Bi Luo looked at the magic core in her hand and nodded slightly: Indeed, the changes over two years were too great. Her mental power, once stagnant, was now progressing forward, firmly yet slowly. Two years…

Shui Sui Ying’er looked downcast. The changes over two years paled in comparison to the changes wrought in a single day when the Dou Stone ore vein was discovered. In just that single day, all her kin and comrades had died, victims of human greed… Sigh… Let the Dou Stone ore vein belong entirely to Qian Jin; at least he saved her life.

“Speaking of which…” Qian Jin turned back to Shui Lian Ying’er curiously, frowning as he asked, “I suddenly remembered something. On the transport path we just left, did you see any human corpses or skeletal remains? That… that Xiao Chang…” An expression of deep-seated hatred flashed across Shui Lian Ying’er’s pretty face: “Xiao Chang Lei Ming!”

“Yes, yes,” Qian Jin nodded incessantly, pressing, “We were caught in the avalanche that day. By rights, he should have been buried under the snow for two years. Even if the snow could freeze his body, we should have seen his remains on our way back, right? There should be something left behind, shouldn’t there?”

Shui Lian Ying’er stood frozen, recalling the situation on the path when they exited the valley. The snow only reached her ankles; even if someone were lying in the snow, they should have been easily spotted—but there was nothing! No corpse… No corpse! Shui Dao Ying’er’s limbs trembled slightly, hatred rapidly spreading within her. She looked up at Qian Jin, whose frame now towered considerably over her: “Are you saying…”

Qian Jin scratched his head, speaking uncertainly, “Although I can’t confirm this matter, we can’t rule out the possibility that he also survived the avalanche.” “Xiao Chang Lei Ming is still alive…” Shui Lian Ying’er tightly clenched her slender hands, her knuckles cracking under the force of her hatred. “Is he really still alive?”

“Perhaps?” Qian Jin laughed carelessly. All the Dou Stone from the ore vein had been mined; it was useless even if he went there! Even if he were truly alive, he couldn't threaten Qian Jin by spreading news about the mine. Qian Jin could simply say it was all used up.

“If he is still alive…” Shui Lian Ying’er viciously punched the nearby tree trunk. “I will personally send him to meet the spirits!” Qian Jin pursed his lips, looking at Shui Lian Ying’er: “Can you even beat him?”

Shui Lian Ying’er stared thoughtfully at Qian Jin. Although she had trained daily as a warrior in the Four Seasons Valley for the past two years, she had never trained as if her life depended on it every moment, like Bi Luo or Qian Jin. Her strength had improved, but the gains were very limited. Facing Xiao Chang Lei Ming, she would likely only end up humiliated.

Regret washed over Shui Lian Ying’er. She had always assumed Xiao Chang Lei Ming was dead, and during her two years in the Four Seasons Valley, she had never truly trained desperately.

“What good is regret?” Qian Jin let out an unapologetic cold laugh. “I recall that during the 13th generation of the Zhen Ce Dynasty, there was a military god named Chen Bin Zhi, renowned for his brilliant tactics. As a child, he hated studying. He consistently ranked last in the command department at the Warrior Academy. It wasn't until the final year before the advanced academy entrance exam that he suddenly seemed to awaken and decided to study. He pushed himself for one year and failed the exam. He then paid for another year of self-study and, on his second attempt, entered the advanced academy’s warrior command department, eventually becoming the military god of that era…”

“He wrote this in his memoir, a quote I have always remembered,” Qian Jin smiled as he turned back. “It’s never too late to fight desperately, as long as you are willing to put in the effort. Perhaps your first desperate attempt fails. But if you are still alive, try again a second time; perhaps then you will succeed.”

Shui Lian Ying’er watched the receding backs of Qian Jin and Bi Luo, muttering to herself: “Never too late to fight desperately… never too late to fight desperately…” Flamingoes are colonial creatures, swift in action and aggressive. Their feathers possess a certain degree of magic resistance, but once detached from the body, this resistance weakens significantly, to the point where they might not even fully block a single Fireball spell.

Qian Jin looked up at the hundreds of Flamingoes soaring above the canopy. He reached out and took out his Moon-Shooting Bow. Without nocking an arrow, he pulled the bowstring back taut against the air until it formed a perfect crescent moon. His eyes narrowed into slits, and a sliver of cold light gathered and burst forth from his pupils! [Divine Shot]! [Arrow Intent]!

Shui Lian Ying’er seemed to hear the whistling sound of several arrows piercing the air as if loosed simultaneously. The Flamingoes in the sky screeched together and shot high into the air, leaving only dozens of feathers to drift slowly down.

Qian Jin lowered the strong bow and shook his head: “I still haven’t mastered the [Arrow Intent] of [Divine Shot]. Firing a volley of arrows from a bare string should be enough to kill even a warrior struck by [Reverberation Intent], and the Flamingoes should be entirely irresistible. Where did I misunderstand? I only managed to startle them away with [Arrow Intent].”

“I’ll just take a bird egg then.” Qian Jin used both hands and feet to climb the trunk, fished an egg out of a nest, and casually swept up quite a few of the beautiful Flamingo feathers used by the birds to decorate their nests. “Here, I think these feathers are quite pretty. You take some too.”

Bi Luo accepted the Flamingo egg and the feathers, enough to weave a small vest, and carefully placed them into a hidden storage pouch within her magic robe. With this egg, she could continue down the path toward becoming a Great Magus.

“Let’s go! It’s time we returned to school.” Qian Jin stretched expansively and strode toward the direction of Oakland City. “Two years! I’m finally back! I wonder if that fellow Luolin has gotten fatter? I wonder if Uncle Franlin’s blacksmith shop has become the best blacksmith shop in Oakland? This time, I must spar with Uncle Fabredis—that should surprise him!”

Qian Jin’s steps quickened involuntarily. It took him seven days to travel here from the outside back then; this return trip shouldn't take seven days, right?

Three days later, Qian Jin emerged from the outer forests of the Sunset Mountains and looked into the distance at the city walls of Oakland—still majestic despite their age, yet eternally standing.

In two years, the exterior of Oakland City seemed utterly unchanged. Merchant caravans, protected by guards, slowly entered the city after inspection by the gate soldiers. Individual merchants were quickly granted passage after verifying the necessary paperwork.

Qian Jin pulled the badge of the Oakland Magic and Warrior Academy from his pocket dimension and carefully pinned it to his chest. He looked back at Shui Lian Ying’er and asked, “After we enter the city, we’ll head straight to the academy. What about you?”

“Me?” Shui Lian Ying’er tilted her head back, taking a deep breath, then fixed her beautiful eyes back onto Qian Jin’s: “I want to ask you for a favor. Can you help me?” Qian Jin raised an eyebrow: “Regarding Xiao Chang Lei Ming?”

“No!” Shui Lian Ying’er shook her long hair back and forth repeatedly. “If Xiao Chang Lei Ming is indeed alive, I will kill him with my own hands. I just want to ask you to forge a two-handed greatsword for me. As for the cost, I don't have much right now, but I will certainly repay you later.” “Done,” Qian Jin agreed readily. “What will you do after you have the sword?”

“I plan to find an adventurer or mercenary team to join. They usually have better channels for information,” Shui Lian Ying’er replied with the seasoned air of someone accustomed to traveling outside. “And I need to truly train myself.” “Come to Franlin Blacksmith Shop in three days to collect your sword.” Qian Jin and Shui Lian Ying’er walked side-by-side through the city gates and then parted ways in different directions.

“We’re back, finally back.” Qian Jin spread his arms wide and took a deep breath of Oakland City’s air. This city, where he hadn't stayed long, somehow held a peculiar sense of belonging.

“Should we walk faster?” Qian Jin turned to look at Bi Luo, who was trying her best to keep pace. His left hand reached out and encircled her slender waist. With a quick bend, he scooped her up with his right arm before she could resist, saying, “This way is faster…”

After two years of life in the Four Seasons Valley, Bi Luo had grown accustomed to Qian Jin’s arrangements. For this moment, when he picked her up, she momentarily failed to react whether she should resist or not; she only felt the wind rushing past her ears as they moved rapidly. Oakland City was indeed ancient and remote, but it still possessed the necessary area.

After running a short distance, Qian Jin hired a carriage and sped through the city, heading directly toward the Oakland Magic and Warrior Academy.

After a bumpy carriage ride that made Bi Luo feel like her backside was about to split into several pieces, they finally arrived before the Oakland Magic and Warrior Academy, unseen for two years.

P.S.: I didn't sleep well; my sleep quality was very poor, but I am very touched, very touched. Since I announced that I would no longer exchange monthly tickets for chapters, the rate of monthly ticket growth has far surpassed the previous exchange rate. I am so touched that the dark circles under my eyes have grown even darker… F