Yu Fei found a moment to slip away to the restroom. He closed his eyes and focused his mind. Within his spiritual space, a magnificent, orange-colored gemstone pulsed unstably.

An orange-quality talent. According to the Fate-Defying Pearl’s classification, this was a sixth-tier talent, a Middle Level-high grade one. It was so rare that perhaps not even one in a million people would be born with it.

[Celestial Beauty]

Description: Unparalleled grace, in harmony with heaven and the Dao, with a naturally perfect constitution.

Effect 1: Appearance, disposition, and bearing are a perfect match for the public’s aesthetic standards.

Effect 2: An excellent constitution adapted for cultivation, greatly increasing cultivation speed and affinity for the world’s primordial energy.

"Hiss... ’So that explains it!’"

’No wonder this guy isn’t just absurdly handsome, but his every word and action carries the air of a flex-king. It seems this talent put half its points into charm!’

As the owner of an orange-quality talent, Ye Feng wasn’t actually that strong, especially when it came to combat. He hadn’t fully utilized his own martial arts strength, and his combat instincts were even somewhat childish.

’It looks like the effects of [Celestial Beauty] put half its points into looks and the other half into cultivation speed. It doesn’t enhance his hard power at all—no bonuses to Qi Blood, defense, strength, or anything like that.’

’This talent... a standard-issue sugar momma killer!’

’Ye Feng is playing it all wrong.’

Forcing down the urge to deconstruct [Celestial Beauty], Yu Fei decided to wait until he could get his hands on another one before starting. He had to make sure he kept at least one for himself.

Then, once he had enough stardust, he would open a new talent slot, immediately equip [Celestial Beauty], and load all the other long-sealed talents from his spiritual space.

Ye Feng’s talent only seemed to be orange-quality, but Yu Fei felt its effects should far exceed that rank.

In a way, two desires exist in the human subconscious: one is to become stronger, and the other is to become better-looking.

[Celestial Beauty] perfectly fulfilled both of these needs.

’Looks are for a lifetime; strength is just a matter of time. He could rely on his handsome face to get investments from rich women, then use his superhuman cultivation speed to raise his realm. Forget all the other random bonuses; purely crushing people with a higher realm is also a path to power.’

’The only thing is, I have no idea what kind of talent Dongfang Yebai has. I couldn’t tell at all during the match.’

After the competition, Yu Fei contacted Jian Dalong. The guy had barely managed to squeeze into the top two, securing a spot in a special training program. It would last for two weeks in Y-City as a final sprint before the college entrance exams. It was said to provide a huge boost to a Martial Artist’s strength, but as for the details, Jian Dalong was clueless.

Yu Fei collected the Bone Tempering Liquid. He chose not to carry it on him or store it at home. The stuff was too precious; on the current market, it wouldn’t be surprising if it sold for over ten million. He decided to leave both portions of the Bone Tempering Liquid with Yan Sea for safekeeping.

Although one standard unit of Bone Tempering Liquid was enough for one person, who knew if an accident might happen during the process? So he would keep both portions. Only after he broke through the bone barrier would he consider selling any that was left over.

After the competition ended, Yu Fei’s fame skyrocketed throughout the county. If not exactly a household name, his name was at least known by the vast majority of parents.

「...」

"Mr. Yan, there’s something I need to talk to you about."

Yan Sea gave him a questioning look. "Follow me."

After martial arts class on Monday, Yu Fei sought out Yan Sea. He had tossed and turned all night, finally deciding to report his discovery of suspicious individuals at the competition to his teacher. Given what happened before, Yan Sea should believe him.

After all, it was just a personal feeling with no evidence. If he went to the Martial Arts Administration Bureau with only that, he’d probably be thrown out as a lunatic.

During the Y-City Youth Martial Arts Exchange Competition, his report had led to a case being solved, so they had a basis for cooperation.

"...and that’s the situation. I suspect some criminals have infiltrated the area and were present at the competition."

Yu Fei told Yan Sea everything he had discovered. Judging from last time, Yan Sea was quite reliable.

After listening to Yu Fei’s account, Yan Sea was silent for a moment before asking:

"You’re saying you can sense other people’s malice toward you? I didn’t press for details last time. What does this malice you feel... feel like? And when did you get this ability?"

Yu Fei thought for a moment and replied:

"Mr. Yan, I suddenly discovered I had this ability during the competition in Y-City."

He had previously wondered how he would explain the change in his talents if someone noticed. But after thinking it over and over, he couldn’t come up with a good reason. Generally, a person’s talents were fixed from birth; it was impossible to suddenly acquire a special gift.

It was like someone who was completely tone-deaf and a terrible singer suddenly becoming a master vocalist overnight. If it happened once or twice, you could say they had an epiphany, but if it kept happening, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

In the end, Yu Fei decided to tell the truth—while hiding the existence of the Fate-Defying Pearl, of course. If asked, the answer was that he didn’t know either; it just suddenly clicked.

’The world is a big place. There are always some strange people and things.’

Yu Fei continued, "As for sensing malice? Mr. Yan, let me use an analogy. Malice feels like the cold. Faint malice is like a cold draft, but if someone wants to kill me, the chilling sensation is like being naked in a frozen wasteland."

Yu Fei described his feelings frankly.

Yan Sea didn’t seem to doubt him. There were always some extraordinarily gifted people in the world. He had once met someone who could distinguish truths from lies without ever making a mistake. It was highly metaphysical and absurd.

"Is the malice you sense directed only at you, or can you sense it when it’s directed at others too?"

"Only toward me!"

Yan Sea thought for a moment, then said to Yu Fei in a grave and heartfelt tone:

"Yu Fei, don’t tell anyone else what you’ve told me today.

"First, from now on, don’t tell anyone you can sense malice. Just pass it off as martial intuition.

"Second, you must use this ability well, but don’t trust it completely. Some people may not bear you any malice, but their actions might still harm you—like someone paving the road to hell with good intentions. Conversely, someone might hold malice toward you, but that doesn’t mean they won’t help you.

"The human psyche is incredibly complex. A single thought can separate good from evil. You can use this ability as an objective basis for judgment, but you cannot rely on it entirely."

These were heartfelt words, filled with a wealth of life experience and wisdom.

Yu Fei pondered this for a moment and said, "I’ll take that to heart."

"Regarding the matter of the evil cult, I can share some information with you. We do have intelligence suggesting that cult members may have infiltrated the area, but we don’t have any leads at the moment. Are you certain the direction you sensed it from was to the northwest of the arena?"

"Yes. Twice, and both times from that direction!"

Yan Sea nodded. "Alright, I understand. You don’t need to worry about what happens next. Continue to focus on your martial arts cultivation. If you find any more suspicious traces, don’t expose yourself, and absolutely do not try to investigate on your own. Although your strength is considerable among first-realm Martial Artists, you’re no match for those cultists.

"If you discover anything, your first priority is to ensure your own safety. Then, message me. I’ll give you another number. It’s for someone at the Martial Arts Administration Bureau who’s quite reliable. If you can’t reach me, contact this number."