Su Ze was brimming with anticipation. He sat up straight, eager to see what kind of amazing gift Chen Suifeng was about to give him.

Chen Suifeng reached into his pocket, drawing Su Ze’s gaze, but only pulled out a pack of cigarettes, much to Su Ze’s disappointment.

Chen Suifeng pulled out a cigarette and lit it, smiling. "I didn’t smoke when I was young. It’s bad for your health, and the girls I liked didn’t care for it.

"But then I became Saint-level. Now, even the cheapest cigarettes can’t harm my body, and they still give me a bit of satisfaction. So why not smoke?"

Su Ze could only nod. ’Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. So what’s my gift?’

As Su Ze watched with hopeful eyes, Chen Suifeng pulled a full, unopened carton of cigarettes from his storage item and tossed it to him.

"Here, try them. They’re special cigarettes made for evolvers like us. They pack a punch, so ordinary people can’t handle them."

"So this is your gift to me?" Su Ze was at a loss for words.

’I just turned eighteen and you’re giving me a carton of cigarettes. A real model educator, this guy!’

"What, you don’t like it?" A mischievous smile appeared on Chen Suifeng’s face. "These are made from the leaves of a Tier Four Tobacco Spiritual Plant. It’s a limited supply; you can’t just buy them."

’A Tier Four Tobacco Spiritual Plant? Something like that actually exists?’

’One puff of this would probably send me to the moon!’

’It might even have some other magical effects.’

"I love it. I love anything you give me." Su Ze immediately stored the carton of cigarettes in his Storage Pendant.

Chen Suifeng took a drag from his cigarette and shook his head. "Alright, I’ll stop messing with you. That was just a little welcome gift. What I really want to give you is a promise.

"It’s obvious you know what you want, and you’re not short on ambition. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have challenged a Tier Four S-rank beast right after reaching the Butterfly Stage. Are you planning to absorb Tier Four S-rank extracts for all three vials in the Butterfly Stage?"

’You’re underestimating me. Three vials? Nope, four!’

’And for the fourth one, I’m thinking of trying for a Tier Five extract. I wonder if that would shock you.’

’But a promise... what does that mean? What kind of promise?’

What Su Ze was thinking didn’t affect what he said. He nodded. "You saw right through me. I do have that in mind."

"That won’t be easy." Chen Suifeng gave Su Ze a long look. "There’s a fundamental gap in power between the Butterfly Stage and a Tier Four beast. You can’t possibly hunt a Tier Four beast on your own, let alone the strongest of them, a Tier Four S-rank."

"Tier Four S-rank extracts can’t be bought. The Royal Hunting Ground only has one, and you only get one chance to enter. If you want another Tier Four S-rank extract, your only option is to commission a Saint-level expert to hunt for you. And even a typical Saint-level powerhouse might not be up to the task..."

Su Ze’s eyes lit up. "So you have a way to help me?"

Chen Suifeng smiled and nodded. "The promise I’m giving you is this: at any point during your Butterfly Stage, I will go on one hunt for you to help you acquire a vial of the extract you need."

’That good? Can I pick a Tier Five extract, then...?’ While tempted, Su Ze also grew wary.

’There’s no such thing as a free lunch. And if there is, the price is always something more precious than money.’

"What do you need me to do?" Su Ze asked.

Seeing that Su Ze was still able to think rationally, Chen Suifeng nodded in approval. "Nothing. You just have to come with me when I hunt for you."

’That simple?’

’There must be a catch!’

Su Ze didn’t sense any hostility from Chen Suifeng. In fact, the man seemed to be looking out for him. It was unlikely he would go to such lengths just to harm him; there was simply no need.

Still, to avoid potential trouble, he decided he wouldn’t ask Chen Suifeng to fulfill this promise unless he had absolutely no other choice.

He would do his best to acquire the extracts he needed for the Butterfly Stage on his own.

"Thank you, Mr. Chen." Su Ze agreed on the surface.

"It doesn’t matter what you’re thinking. When you need me, you’ll naturally come find me." Chen Suifeng seemed to see right through Su Ze’s thoughts and spoke nonchalantly. "That’s all I wanted to talk to you about. If you’d like to stay for lunch, I can have the chef make a few extra dishes."

"I have to get back to Dongli to prepare for the Divine Dice, so I won’t impose," Su Ze declined.

"Yes, you should probably leave soon. Otherwise, all the major families of Lin Hua Country will be trying to win you over. If you don’t want to be bothered, remember to change your phone number when you get back."

Su Ze stood up and suddenly felt a bit dizzy. Looking at the smoke wafting through the office, he had a good idea why.

These cigarettes made from the Tier Four tobacco were indeed potent. Just a few whiffs of secondhand smoke had made him light-headed.

After leaving Chen Suifeng’s office and taking a breath of fresh air, Su Ze immediately felt much clearer. He was also surprised to discover that his Spiritual Power had increased by a minuscule amount.

It was so small he wondered if it was just his imagination.

’So, the cigarettes made from the Tier Four tobacco can enhance Spiritual Power?’

’This is good stuff!’

’I’m going to smoke when I get back!’

Su Ze hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Chen Suifeng’s voice reached his ears. "The Divine Dice will be different this time. It’ll be more dangerous. Remember to quit while you’re ahead, and don’t die in there."

Su Ze turned and thanked Chen Suifeng for the well-intentioned warning, then took the stairs down from the eighth floor.

In the seventh-floor reception room, Mr. Ya was stuffing his face with satsumas from a Tier One Spiritual Plant orange tree. Seeing Su Ze, he immediately grabbed a handful and shoved them at him. "Boss, try these! They’re delicious."

Su Ze casually peeled one and popped it into his mouth. He said to Chen Xuejiao, "We’re heading back to Dongli. Come visit Dongli when you have time."

Although Chen Xuejiao was curious about what Su Ze and Chen Suifeng had discussed, it involved her direct superior, so it wasn’t her place to ask.

She offered to drive Su Ze to the airport, but he declined. It wasn’t far, and grabbing a cab would be easy.

Su Ze was eager to get back, wanting only to return to Dongli University and absorb the Liquid Turbellaria Extract as soon as possible.

...

「Around noon」 Su Ze and Mr. Ya were on the plane home.

Looking at Mr. Ya, Su Ze suddenly had an idea. ’Maybe I should have Mr. Ya come to the Divine Dice too?’

Mr. Ya was at the Butterfly Stage, wasn’t old—just past thirty—and had absorbed a vial of Tier Four A-rank extract, which he had already mostly digested.

On top of that, the skills Mr. Ya possessed were all of very high quality.

With his qualifications, he could be considered a genius anywhere.

Of course, the most important thing was that Su Ze felt his own life would be safer with Mr. Ya around. If the two of them worked together, their combat effectiveness would rise to another level.

The only downside was that Mr. Ya lacked offensive power, which would put him in a more passive role inside the Divine Dice.

This was just Su Ze’s idea. Ultimately, it depended on whether Mr. Ya was willing to go and whether the powerhouses of Dongli would grant him a spot.

Su Ze asked Mr. Ya for his thoughts right then and there.

The moment Mr. Ya heard this, his thrill-seeking side kicked in. He grew excited, his eyes shining. "Boss, if you can get me a spot, I’ll definitely go! With the two of us teamed up, we’ll absolutely crush it!"

"Alright, I’ll ask Mr. Zhou when I get back."

...

「By the time Su Ze and Mr. Ya returned to Dongli University, it was already midnight.」

Knowing they were coming back today, Mrs. Yun and Liou Wenxin were still awake. Liou Wenxin had even heated up a meal for them.

The two returned to the villa and recounted their trip while they ate.

Listening to the story, Mrs. Yun’s sense of urgency grew stronger. ’This kid can already hunt a power-suppressed Liquid Turbellaria by himself... He might actually be stronger than me now!’

’Good thing I’m about to break through to the Saint-level.’

Liou Wenxin, meanwhile, was examining the Liquid Turbellaria Extract from all angles. "When are you planning to absorb this?" she asked.

"As soon as I finish eating!"

Su Ze shoveled down the last few bites of rice in his bowl, wiped his mouth, and took the Liquid Turbellaria Extract. "Should I go outside to absorb it?" he asked.

"That won’t be necessary. You’re not absorbing an extract above your level this time. The evolutionary power within it won’t affect you too much. It’s more of a test of your body’s physical tolerance," Liou Wenxin replied.

"Alright, I’ll do it here then."

Su Ze tilted his head back and poured the green liquid into his mouth.

GULP. As he swallowed, the spiciness in his mouth was secondary. Su Ze felt a sharp, pungent odor shoot up into his sinuses, making them ache before it rushed straight to the crown of his head. He was jolted wide awake as his nose and eyes began to stream uncontrollably.

’Did I just drink a vial of extract or a tube of wasabi?’

’Dammit, why can’t I ever get a sweet-tasting extract!’

Thankfully, the intensely stimulating flavor faded after a short while, and the process of his body absorbing the extract began.

Just as Liou Wenxin had said, the evolutionary power in this extract didn’t have much of an effect on him. The absorption process, however, was not so easy.

Su Ze was once again experiencing the same sensation he’d had when absorbing the Mutated Giant Crocodile Extract. His body felt like it was stuffed to bursting and was constantly expanding.

This was a situation where he could absorb it and endure it, but only with some difficulty.

Even with Su Ze’s freakish constitution, tackling a Tier Four S-rank extract right at the start of the Butterfly Stage was still this difficult. One could only imagine the challenge.

If he hadn’t insisted on absorbing a Tier Four extract during his Cocoon Stage, without the foundation laid by that previous vial, he might not have succeeded this time.

The absorption process this time was rather long, taking nearly two full hours before he succeeded.

And once again, Su Ze had swollen up like a balloon.

Next came the skill selection phase. Su Ze, of course, unhesitatingly chose the Tier Four S-rank skill he had been coveting—Liquid Life!

Liquid Life: Liquefy the body.

The skill description was just that simple.

But Su Ze knew he would have to discover its other uses for himself.

When he fought the Liquid Turbellaria, he had already seen many of this skill’s possibilities.

For example, in his liquid state, he would be almost immune to physical damage. He could also split himself into several pieces without dying...

Su Ze opened his eyes, the absorption process complete.

"Let’s see how this new skill works..." Su Ze said, melting into a large puddle of liquid that flowed across the floor.

"For some reason, I feel like this skill would be great for cleaning the house," Mrs. Yun quipped.