Chapter 5

The fact proved that sentiment could not withstand an empty stomach.

Regaining his senses, Ai Hui suddenly realized he hadn't eaten anything all day and was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of hunger.

He leaned against the wall as he stepped out, his limbs weak.

A man is iron, and rice is steel; one cannot go without a meal, which is truly a profound truth.

Not far from the alley, he saw a noodle shop and almost tumbled in.

"Boss, a bowl of noodles!"

"Coming right up!"

After eating a bowl of noodles, Ai Hui finally regained his strength. When it came time to pay, his eyes nearly bulged out: "H... how much?"

"150 yuan, thank you for your patronage," the boss said.

"O... one hundred and fifty?" Ai Hui looked as if he had heard something unbelievable, and his gaze toward the noodle shop owner began to change, a murderous intent surfacing. The young man was never a well-behaved baby who let others take advantage of him.

"Newcomer?" The boss frowned. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. He pointed to a wooden sign hanging on the wall with some helplessness: "The prices are up there, no cheating. The prices in the Induction Field are much higher than in the Old Land."

Following the boss's finger, Ai Hui saw the price board on the wall, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

The boss might be telling the truth...

Leaving the noodle shop, Ai Hui's face was ashen. He finally understood why no one had taken the commission to guard the training ground for over a decade, with a monthly salary of only 4,500. Just enough to eat? Whose math did the old man at the commission center learn? Step forward!

Thirty bowls of noodles!

One bowl of noodles a day, touching his stomach that still felt nothing after just eating a bowl, thinking about his future life, Ai Hui's eyes turned black. He had entered the Induction Field with great enthusiasm, believing he would become a powerful Yuan Cultivator and control his own destiny, but the Induction Field had given him a harsh wake-up call.

If he couldn't even eat enough, how could he talk about cultivation?

The night breeze made his heart shiver.

No, he had to find a way to earn money!

After feeling dejected for five seconds, Ai Hui regained his spirit. It wasn't just about eating; money and cultivating Yuan Power were closely related. When he was in the wilderness, he followed those Yuan Cultivators to hunt wild beasts.

The skin, flesh, tendons, and bones of wild beasts were all treasures.

Bones and tendons could be used to forge weapons, wild beast skin to forge armor, wild beast blood to refine Yuan Medicine, and wild beast meat to make Yuan Food.

Yuan Food, rich in Yuan Power, was highly beneficial for cultivation.

The Yuan Power system was inherited from the cultivation system, and the vast and intricate cultivation system had a profound impact on the Yuan Power system. Many aspects of the Yuan Power system bore the shadow of cultivation.

Ai Hui was no longer a naive youth; he knew very well that to gain great power, it wasn't just about practicing in isolation.

As the night lights came on, the evening in Songjian City was bright and lively, with groups of newcomers going out together, very热闹. Newcomers had no such worries; the excitement of entering the Induction Field had not yet faded, and they were full of hope for the future.

Perhaps influenced by the laughter and joy of the surrounding newcomers, Ai Hui's worries diminished.

With his hands in his pockets, he strolled leisurely through the colorful lights, enjoying the crowd and the mist swirling under the lights. The streets were filled with the enticing aroma of delicious food, and he felt a bit relaxed. For him, this was a very special feeling. Although he always remained vigilant, the bustling and vibrant human烟火 made the tension in his mind gradually ease.

He wandered aimlessly down the street.

Suddenly, a sign caught his eye.

"Blind Fight! Survive for five minutes, win 50,000 yuan!"

50,000!

Ai Hui's eyes suddenly lit up like a hungry wolf spotting prey. His hand, which had been in his pocket, was now touching his stomach, caressing it subconsciously.

Not too full...

How many bowls of noodles is 50,000? It's hard to calculate. Why do I feel hungry again?

Before he could finish thinking, his feet moved on their own, and he stepped inside.

The body is always so honest...

****************

Shi Family Training Ground.

The door to the lounge was pushed open, and a tall, coldly elegant woman walked in. She wore a black windbreaker and a hat that almost covered her entire face. The young woman casually took off her black windbreaker and handed it to the middle-aged man behind her, asking, "Blind Fight? This idea is interesting, I like it!"

"Miss, I'm glad you like it." The middle-aged man hurriedly bowed to take the windbreaker. "We received a notice from the clan that Miss might come to find your state. Songjian City doesn't have many experts, mostly newcomers, so we came up with this idea, not sure if it would work."

"Didn't you report my name?" The seated young woman propped up her long, slender legs, picked up the juice in front of her, and sipped it slowly. She had long, flowing hair, flawless beauty, a delicate oval face, and eyes like stars, exuding extreme confidence and a hint of pride. This gave her a commanding presence, making her intimidating even when sitting on the sofa.

"No!" The middle-aged man hurriedly replied. "If we reported Miss Xue Man's name, who would dare to come? Your reputation is too terrifying. We planned the Blind Fight and prepared masks without eye holes to avoid anyone recognizing you."

"It seems you've put a lot of thought into it. Good job." Shi Xue Man showed a satisfied expression. "Tell everyone, a three-month salary bonus for everyone."

"Thank you, Miss." The middle-aged man thanked her hurriedly, a hint of joy in his eyes. A three-month salary bonus was a significant amount for them. More importantly, Miss's praise meant a lot, and being recognized by her would bring many benefits in the future.

Shi Xue Man then asked, "How many people have signed up?"

"Twenty-three so far." The middle-aged man paused, then added, "Twenty-four, another person just signed up. We didn't set an entry fee to encourage more participation. But our planning time was too short, and we didn't have time to promote it."

"That's enough. It looks like I can have a good workout tonight." Shi Xue Man raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly. Suddenly, her smile vanished. "How much longer until it starts?"

"8:30, fifteen minutes." The middle-aged man replied, reminding her, "Miss, you should hold back. There are mostly newcomers, and if you injure them, it could be troublesome."

"Don't worry." Shi Xue Man nodded. "I'm wearing a suppression bracelet."

The middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief. He was most worried about Miss injuring newcomers. If they were older students, it wouldn't be a big deal, but the Induction Field paid more attention to newcomers. The suppression bracelet could suppress a Yuan Cultivator's level, and he realized he had been overthinking it.

With Miss's genius cultivation, she was extremely strict with herself. Could she have come all this way just to bully newcomers?

"You can leave now, I need to prepare." Shi Xue Man said firmly.

"Yes!" The middle-aged man bowed and left the lounge.

Shi Xue Man's smile faded, and her expression became serious. Although she was just accompanying her grandfather to Songjian City to visit friends, she had no intention of relaxing. Before leaving, she had notified the Songjian City branch of her family's training ground that she might come to cultivate.

She didn't expect the Songjian City branch to come up with such a unique idea, preparing a Blind Fight.

She had never experienced a Blind Fight before.

Wearing the suppression bracelet, her strength was not much different from an ordinary newcomer, making it more challenging to test her skills. In the environment of a Blind Fight, she wasn't sure how much of her strength she could exert.

But she was never afraid of unknown challenges; on the contrary, this made her excited and eager to try.

She hadn't been this excited in a long time. She began to organize her battle suit, tying her long hair with a red ribbon, revealing her perfect, white, and smooth neck. Her movements were slow and serious, giving a sense of meticulousness.

Putting on the mask, the world before her eyes turned dark.

The unfamiliar darkness caused a ripple in her heart.

She closed her eyes, slowly adjusted her breathing, and carefully felt the surrounding darkness. Perhaps because of the darkness, the world became even quieter, and the sounds she usually ignored seemed to rise to the surface like fish in the deep sea. Her sense of touch became more sensitive, and the slightest breeze brushing against her skin made her shiver involuntarily.

This was a new world, one she had never experienced before.

A world that excited her immensely. Suddenly, she had a hunch that if she could master this unfamiliar world, she would surely break through her current level.

Time quietly passed as she carefully felt this quiet and unfamiliar world.

"Blind Fight is about to begin, three minutes to prepare. The Blind Fight is a five-minute survival match. The last participant standing on the stage for five minutes will win 50,000 yuan. To simulate a more realistic environment, the arena is filled with non-toxic, odorless Ink Night Smoke, which only affects vision and perfectly simulates the effect of night. To avoid unnecessary injuries, this survival match is a hand-to-hand combat. Please wear your protective gear and masks. One minute to the start of the survival match."

Shi Xue Man suddenly stood up and walked toward the door leading from the lounge to the battle area.

Her steps were measured, and she stopped precisely as the mask touched the door.

She waited quietly, like the most perfect sculpture under an artist's hand.

"Blind Fight is about to begin, countdown, ten, nine, eight..."

Shi Xue Man remained still.

"Three, two, one! Fight begins!"

The door in front of her slid open.

Shi Xue Man walked into the battlefield without hesitation. The moment she entered, she felt the faint light through the mask completely disappear, as if she were in a deep, pure darkness.

The Ink Night Smoke was indeed impressive!

Shi Xue Man praised inwardly.

Ink Night Smoke was a very rare toxic smoke, with few Wood Cultivators able to refine it, making it extremely expensive but with excellent effects. Just as she had adapted to the darkness, her rhythm was immediately disrupted.

At that moment, a warning signal sounded in her heart.

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