18 Chapter 18 Are you a freak? No, You're Completely Abnormal

Three days later, Jiang Xinyu drove to Wang Lan's doorstep.

Wang Lan changed into combat gear, carrying a steel knife as he walked out, only to search for the car door handle for ages and not find it.

At this moment, the car door slowly opened like spreading wings, revealing Jiang Xinyu behind sunglasses.

"Sometimes I really wonder if you're actually rich. Logically speaking, you earn over a hundred million a year. How can you be as clueless as a bumpkin?"

"So being rich means I should be into cars, yachts, and tender models at clubs?"

"Get in the car," Jiang Xinyu said, too lazy to argue with Wang Lan.

"Let me make this clear, we're entering the Tinglin Elementary Trial Grounds. Even though it's just a beginner level, it's still very dangerous. Any of the exotic beasts inside could kill a grown adult in a few seconds.

You're bound to be nervous on your first entry, so stick close to us, and do not move away from the team by more than three meters. With your skills, killing exotic beasts on your own shouldn't be difficult, but real combat and training are two different things. You're going to encounter real dangers and need to adapt quickly.

Also, entering the trial grounds isn't just about getting hurt; you could also die. Especially for first-timers, the fatality rate is twenty percent. If you're scared, it's still not too late to back out."

The car had already entered the highway, Jiang Xinyu kept advising with her mouth, while Wang Lan stared at her hands, slightly nervous.

"What are you looking at? I'm also a woman, it's perfectly normal and reasonable to paint my nails."

"I know. When did you get your driver's license?"

"Last year. Why?"

"How many times have you driven a car?"

"Spit it out!" Jiang Xinyu frowned, "What, doubt my skills? You think I'm like those female drivers on the internet?"

"Hard to say... How about I get out of the car and take a cab myself?"

"Sit tight and don't test my patience. Besides Xincheng, you're the first one to ride in my car."

"You mean the first one brave enough to ride! Seeing you this nervous, how could I not be scared?"

"Nervous? Which eye of yours sees me as nervous?"

"Your hands are clenched on the steering wheel. Only a novice grips the steering wheel like clinging to a life-saving straw, while experienced drivers just casually rest their hands on it, some don't even bother holding it..."

"Really?" Jiang Xinyu suddenly went quiet and then deftly switched gears.

"Although I'm not quite sure why your car has twelve gears, but this road has a speed limit of eighty..."

"Shut up!"

Vroom—

From the campus to the southern district, forty-three kilometers along the ring road. Half an hour later, the car slowly drove into the parking lot of the trial grounds.

"Get out!" Her tone was icy and carried a strong hint of murderous intent.

"It's no big deal, no need to be angry now. It was just a fine of two thousand, right? That's just peanuts for you. The traffic cop was right; it's a highway with a speed limit of eighty, and you pushed it to two hundred sixty. He only fined you two thousand, which is already very lenient.

Being pretty has its perks, huh? If it had been me, it definitely wouldn't have been less than twenty thousand, and they would've impounded the car, revoked my license..."

"Believe me, if you keep gloating, I'll punch you. Would I have been speeding if it weren't for you?"

"How's that my fault? The steering wheel, accelerator, gears, brakes – they're all under your control."

"Would I have been speeding if you hadn't doubted my driving skills?"

"Is there a necessary logical connection between me doubting your skills and your speeding?" Wang Lan retorted unwillingly.

"Xinyu, over here..." At that moment, a voice called out. Outside the trial grounds, a line of shops and a fast-food restaurant's entrance, Xu Xiangwen waved as he shouted.

Wang Lan followed Jiang Xinyu over, Xu Xiangwen was slightly stunned to see Wang Lan, then a knowing smile spread across his face, "You lad, not bad at all!"

"You knew?" Wang Lan smiled faintly, thinking they were again talking about him becoming a Star Martial Warrior.

"Hehehe, I didn't know at first, but seeing you here made it obvious. Let's go inside."

Next to Gong Feiyu was a young man whom Wang Lan didn't recognize, probably someone from the Star Martial Arts Campus. Jiang Xinyu approached, pausing slightly with a somewhat displeased expression that quickly disappeared.

"Wang Lan? Hey, what a surprise, and such an unexpected one at that. Let me introduce, this is our classmate, Wang Youle. And this is Wang Lan, my childhood friend turned best buddy."

"The fame of the Study God is well-known; I'll go order the food," Wang Youle said with a smile, getting up to leave.

"Why did you bring him along?" Jiang Xinyu asked Xu Xiangwen.

"Hasn't he always teamed up with us? Right after you called me, I notified him. Is it just the two of us?"

"Forget it, one more doesn't make a difference. I'm going to use the restroom." Jiang Xinyu stood up and left, leaving Wang Lan sitting with Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu.

In a flash, two pairs of eyes fixed on Wang Lan.

"When did it happen?"

"The day of the vacation." Wang Lan smiled.

"Who made the first move?" Gong Feiyu promptly asked.

"First move?" Wang Lan was bewildered.

"It must have been Xinyu. The day we had dinner together, she drank three glasses alone. She never used to drink before. Xiangwen and I thought she was drowning her sorrows in alcohol, but turns out she was steeling her courage."

"Steeling courage? I feel like what you're talking about is not the same thing as what I'm talking about."

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"Humph, humph, humph, still pretending to be ignorant? You're with Xinyu now, aren't you? Did you come here today to flaunt your love in front of us? No worries, Feiyu and I can handle this wave of lovey-dovey show.

Don't worry too much. We've been to the trial fields three times and know them inside out. In ten days, I guarantee to return Xinyu safely to you. I can at least assure you of that, right?"

"Which shameless person has the nerve to say that? It's more likely that Xinyu would be protecting you than the other way around."

"Wait, you've got it all wrong."

"Wrong my foot, you just admitted it."

"I admitted that I've awakened my Star Martial Talent, but I didn't admit to anything else."

"Listen to him, he admits to awakening... wait a second, what did you say? I didn't catch that?" At this, the entire restaurant suddenly fell quiet.

"Can you not say it so loud? Can we sit down and talk?" Wang Lan said annoyingly, looking at Xu Xiangwen. How could he never change after so many years?

"No, Lan, Uncle Lan, you can't be serious? You've really awakened?"

"Awakened."

"When?"

"The day of the holiday."

"That makes no sense... There was no Soul Resonance, how did you just suddenly awaken? So is this... a spontaneous awakening or a stimulated awakening?"

"It should be a spontaneous one I guess, since the Soul Resonance failed, right? Even with a delay, it wouldn't be two years late."

"Cough, cough..." It was only then that Gong Feiyu recovered from the shock, looking at Wang Lan with disbelief, "I always suspected you were a different species that had mutated, and now I can confirm that you belong to the completely mutated type.

So Jiang Xinyu is taking you to the trial fields? Isn't that messing around? The trial field is a battleground, and she's letting someone who just awakened as a Star Martial Warrior go straight into battle? That's practically murder."

"Who's being murdered?" Wang Youle walked back with a smile, sat down, "Order's taken. Wang Lan, I only ordered half a portion for you. I was afraid you couldn't finish it."

"Thanks."

"Hold on, Wang Lan, show me your Star Martial Badge," Xu Xiangwen didn't believe it and reached out to ask.

"Oh." Wang Lan took out his Star Martial Badge and handed it to Xu Xiangwen. Xu Xiangwen took the badge and scanned it with the APP on his phone.

"Searching for information... Search complete. Wang Lan, Star Martial ID, ZZ501807080115."

"Holy shit, it's real! You just got it the day before yesterday, you've really awakened? That's great, we can hang out together again."

"It really is good news, let's see the score." Gong Feiyu too had a smile on his face, while Wang Youle looked at Wang Lan in surprise, his eyes bearing an inexplicable hostility.

"Wang Lan, born on January 3, 5002; awakened Star Martial Talent on June 30, 5018; Star power attribute, fire. Strength rating A, speed rating A, endurance rating A, potential rating B, overall combat power rating, professional grade, B+."

"Wait, did you read that wrong?" Gong Feiyu quickly asked, "Shouldn't the overall combat power rating be at the entry level? Professional grade? We're only at the professional grade ourselves."

"I wish I read it wrong, but... my vision is 2.0."

"At least you're still at the professional grade B+, the same as Wang Lan. I'm just at professional grade B, one level below Wang Lan. Don't believe me? Look for yourself. My Lan, I think Feiyu's earlier assessment of you is wrong, ridiculously wrong.

You're not just a completely mutated species, your DNA must have a hundred percent match with insects."

"Xu Xiangwen, you've made progress, learning how to insult without using dirty words?" Wang Lan folded his arms and sneered.

"Xiangwen... why say it matches with insect DNA?" Wang Youle curiously asked.

"Because insects are the only species in nature that undergo complete metamorphosis."

"I get it now, why Xinyu would bring a greenhorn who just awakened to the trial fields, just awakened and already possessing professional-grade combat power. If your star power level raises, who knows how formidable you'll become."

"The Scholar is truly a Scholar, even when becoming a Star Martial Warrior, she's a genius among geniuses." Wang Youle complimented from the side.

"There's no such thing as geniuses in this world." Jiang Xinyu came over to the group, gesturing to Wang Youle, who quickly moved to sit beside Gong Feiyu.

"You all just see Wang Lan who just awakened with professional-grade strength. But what you didn't see is the kind of hard training Wang Lan went through all these years."

"We don't know about it, but how would you know, Xinyu?"

"I guessed." Jiang Xinyu's eyes darted about; she quickly changed the subject, "I called you all here because I need your help. I reached the peak of the Star Shine Stage this April, and I'm hoping to break through to the Star Cloud Stage with your help during this opportunity.

Mu Shaoyun of Class Three also reached the peak of the Star Shine Stage, and so did Duan Ziqi from Class Five. Out of the nine senior classes, there are twelve at the Star Shine peak. Me, I'm going to be the first to break through to the Star Cloud Stage."

"Of course, her majesty the Queen always comes first." Xu Xiangwen raised his hand and said.

"Shut up!" Jiang Xinyu gave Xu Xiangwen a sideways glance, "So, I'm covering the cost for everyone to enter the trial fields this time. The Soul Beads we obtain, apart from replenishing your star power, will all be given to me.

Until I make a breakthrough to the Star Cloud Stage. In exchange, during the winter holiday, I will take you to the intermediate trial fields and ensure that you all reach the Star Cloud Stage before the start of the provincial martial arts competition... Hmm, except for Wang Youle. You're only at the early Star Shine Stage now, it's a bit difficult to get you to the Star Cloud Stage."

"I understand." Wang Youle nodded obediently.

"So, who agrees with my proposal, and who opposes?"

"Agree!"

"Agree!"

"Agree!"

"I..." Wang Lan was about to say he agreed when Jiang Xinyu suddenly interrupted.

"Since everyone agrees, that settles it. As for Wang Lan, he's with the team as an auxiliary, so he won't be part of the distribution. The Soul Beads he collects belong to him alone."

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