A Card In Hand

Chapter 84: The Big Boss Can Vouch for Me!

Fuxi turned his head and saw Ling Long, Yue Sha, Long Ying, and Wu Ying, the four female classmates, curiously looking over. He quickly wiped away his tears. “It’s just the sand in my eyes!”

“Why do you look so madly happy then, as if the sand has made you a lunatic?”

Ling Long commented, causing Yue Sha and the others to giggle.

“I’m smiling because I feel lucky. Lucky that it’s only sand in my eyes and not a stone, otherwise my eyes would be ruined!”

Fuxi earnestly defended himself, but no matter what he said, the four female classmates all looked unconvinced.

“What are you guys doing here?” Li Ao asked in return.

“We’re setting up a return point for teleportation! Did you just get here? Are you free? We’re planning to go to the Pinecone Forest to pick some golden pinecones. If you two aren’t too busy, come and help us out!”

Ling Long stated as if commanding their labor was not just a menial task, but an honor for them.

“That’s for the big boss to decide!”

Li Ao declared, positioning himself merely as a subordinate.

“Let’s go!”

Fuxi didn’t think twice, waving his hand decisively.

Why think twice when the female classmates need help?

Out of the question!

Just get moving!

Luckily, Li Ao had returned from the past.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the chance to see what one of the three famous cities of the Tianfeng Continent really looked like!

Ling Long gave Fuxi a look. “If you guys want to join the team, we need to apply to the Bai Guo Summoners’ Association again to reform the team, otherwise where would you get the pass to enter the Pinecone Forest Secret Realm? And look at what you’re wearing—it’s like you’re beggars. Don’t you want to change into some new clothes quickly? It’s embarrassing for me even if it isn’t for you!”

Fuxi nodded frantically, “No problem, we’ll change right away! Wait, how about we buy a uniform set of team battle clothes? What do you think of this proposal?”

Wu Ying glanced at Li Ao, “You speak!”

Li Ao, always happy to have new clothes—as long as he doesn’t have to pay—proposed, “Why not design a set of new recruit battle uniforms for all three hundred of us.”

His suggestion, unlike Fuxi’s, which was completely ignored earlier, was quickly approved by the four female classmates.

If the three hundred new recruits were in uniform.

Their appearance would definitely be shockingly impressive.

Moreover.

This was the first time something like this had been done after the new recruit trials, a groundbreaking initiative.

Choosing the clothes and team emblem would require a professional eye; otherwise, if three hundred people wore tasteless outfits, it could be a disastrous sight.

Of course, about this.

The four female classmates were not worried at all.

They trusted their professional and discerning taste enough to ensure the quality of the new recruit uniforms.

Ling Long felt that having this year’s recruits in uniform would definitely set a new trend.

This must be treated with importance.

“The initial budget for the first set of clothes is tentatively one Golden Shield,” Ling Long put the task of picking golden pine cones in the Pinecone Forest aside, focusing instead on the newbies’ outfit. “If some classmates can’t afford this fee, I think those who are able could cover for them first. Their shares can be deducted slowly from future exploratory gains. Sigh, I think one set of newbie outfits isn’t enough. If we want to create a sensation in the capital and set a trend, we should introduce a new style of clothing every year. This is the only way to make a lasting impression on people! Sasa, Long Ying, and Wu Ying, what do you think?”

“Okay.”

Yue Sha’s voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.

“Agreed.”

Long Ying had no objections.

“We should apply for a patent for this at the Temple of the Creator God in the Pantheon of Myriad Realms to prevent imitation,” Wu Ying was ruthless, clearly planning to leverage this to charge royalties from future juniors!

“Wu Ying, you’ve made a great contribution!”

Ling Long thought Wu Ying’s suggestion was brilliant. Without charging fees, how could the juniors remember who created the newbie outfits?

Nothing free holds value; even if they are offered for free, the juniors wouldn’t appreciate them.

So, how can we achieve the greatest impact and make it unforgettable?

A hefty patent fee upon first meeting could demonstrate its power.

This fee.

The harsher, the better.

It should be so severe that it makes the juniors’ blood run cold.

Let every new class that wants to wear these newbie outfits to look cool cry in despair under the shadow of our wisdom.

Fuxi was glowing with excitement.

This idea was an extension of his own suggestion for the team’s uniforms.

He couldn’t believe he was so brilliant; was he truly a hidden unparalleled genius? If he continued to be this smart, how would he handle it? Would it invoke jealousy among this session’s geniuses, especially since Cang Yue hits really hard? No, it seems I must learn to hide my talents. I must keep a low profile! I cannot let anyone know that I’m a hidden genius!

“We’re changing our route to the Pantheon of Myriad Realms!”

Despite her small stature, Ling Long’s decisiveness was unmatched, and she took immediate action.

“You guys wait at the platform, I’ll find an airship!”

Long Ying, clad in armor, began to run, her movements ringing with metallic sounds.

“Hehe, I am an unparalleled genius!”

Fuxi was still foolishly giggling to himself.

“Wake up from your dream!”

Wu Ying slapped him on the back of his head.

“Eh?”

Fuxi was immersed in the dilemma of how deeply he should conceal his genius to avoid detection when Wu Ying’s slap thankfully brought him back to reality.

Realizing the team was about to depart, he hurriedly ran to catch up. “Ah, wait for me!”

Li Ao stood on the massive platform waiting for the airship.

Gazing into the distance.

A supercity beyond description lay before him.

Shangjing is a gigantic city with a history of eighteen thousand years if counting from the first official city records.

It had been the chosen capital for sixteen dynastic generations at the height of their power.

Like the Great Luo Dynasty.

It had made Shangjing its capital for over three thousand years.

Built atop a large mountain range, the entire area covered by the mountain’s extension, approximately ten thousand square kilometers, was under its jurisdiction.

Summoners and nobles lived atop the mountain, while commoners lived below. Various major families occupied different mountain peaks, building their main homes.

Some prestigious families, too powerful for just one peak, acquired more through various means, raising numerous private islets within their territories to expand their dominable space.

Thousands upon thousands of islets and peaks interconnected, forming a wondrous city in the sky.

This is the origin of the name Shangjing.

Shangjing is divided into five levels.

The highest level is the domain of the Pantheon of Myriad Realms. Here, the Pantheon possesses six main peaks and over three hundred giant floating islands, encompassing mountains, rivers, forests, waterfalls, and lakes within their territory.

The fourth level is occupied by the palaces and royal domains of the Great Luo Kingdom.

They control one main peak and four mountains, along with over a hundred giant floating islands.

Other prominent families, such as the Ling Long family’s Donghai clan and Yue Sha family’s Shengyong clan, reside at this level too.

Additionally, the Frost Wolf Family, where Shuanghan is from, and Huo Mei’s Rose Family are also situated on this level, though the number of mountains and floating islands they own varies.

Just below, on the third level, reside the powerful families.

These families, while not as elite as the top noble clans, still wield considerable power.

Many of the rising supernova potentials on Li Ao’s challenge list originate from these families, each having their own private territories on this level.

This level has the highest number of families in Shangjing, housing over two thousand influential clans.

Their interconnected streets represent the most emblematic prosperous urban ecosystem of Shangjing.

Moving down to the second level, this layer is home to emerging small families or those that have declined.

Merchants and various professionals also set up their guilds and commerce associations here. Although the second level is a bustling hub, it is notably less prestigious compared to the third level.

The lowest, first level, is on the ground where the commoners live and work, supplying basic necessities to all levels of Shangjing through their agricultural produce.

These commoners are under the governance and protection of the higher levels.

In Shangjing, over twenty million commoners live across the plains below the mountain ranges, while above them, in the skies, live over 1.5 million nobles and nearly one hundred thousand summoners.

“What are you looking at?”

Ling Long, holding Yue Sha’s hand, approached Li Ao with curiosity.

“Isn’t it normal to be curious on your first visit?”

Li Ao retorted.

Yue Sha, timid by nature, instinctively stepped back upon his glance and quietly hid behind Ling Long. She tensed, fearing that Li Ao would keep staring at her.

Ling Long couldn’t help but laugh at Li Ao’s self-deprecation: “A country bumpkin? I like that name. I’ll call you that from now on! Country Bumpkin Overlord sounds fun!”

Li Ao didn’t care, spreading his hands: “Suit yourself!”

Ling Long’s brows furrowed slightly: “You’ve gotten a lot stronger in just a few days. What have you been up to?”

“Nothing much, just lazing at home every day!”

Li Ao pointed to Fuxi: “The boss here can vouch for me!”

“True, he does nothing but eat and sleep, even wakes up later than me!” Fuxi nodded.

“How do you explain his increased strength then?”

Ling Long was clearly unconvinced.

“He levels up in his sleep!”

Fuxi revealed the truth.

“Did you see that with your own eyes?”

Ling Long rolled her eyes in disbelief.

“Absolutely, I saw it myself. He was explaining some secret techniques to me and suddenly said he couldn’t control it anymore, ran to the river bend and boomed, he leveled up…”

If Fuxi hadn’t seen it himself, would he be so desperate? Would his heart break like that?

“So, he couldn’t control it!”

Ling Long instantly understood what had happened.

“Didn’t all of your combat powers surge too? Why can’t I have a little improvement?”

Li Ao remained calm.

“I’m not saying you can’t, but how much is your combat power now? It’s not still 2018, is it?”

Ling Long extended her fair hand, gesturing for Li Ao to show his native card.