Let's travel back about six months. At that time, Su Ke had not yet transmigrated to this world, so naturally, he knew nothing about this past.
In reality, they had already received news that there was a way to relocate the entire family to that other place.
However, Su Yuan firmly refused.
The reason was simple: Su Ke's academic performance at the time was abysmal and worrying. If he were placed in an unfamiliar environment, he would likely struggle to adapt, possibly even developing resistance to the change.
Besides, Su Ke had at least two close friends here. In a new place, he might find it difficult to fit in, and the thought of him being bullied was unbearable.
Furthermore, he was already in his second year of high school—transferring schools now would only compound his difficulties.
Therefore, Su Yuan and Zhang Xu unanimously decided to send only Su Ke's grandparents to the new place, while they chose to stay behind, continuing their peaceful and stable lives.
As for Su Ke, he had only learned about all of this from Zhang Xin in recent days.
Before this, she had mysteriously told Wang Zhong and Lin Ning that even if he couldn't get into Imperial Capital University, he could definitely get into one of the other top-ranked universities in the city. From that single statement, Su Ke guessed that they must be doing quite well for themselves over there.
The journey from Yan City to the Imperial Capital was long and perilous, requiring travelers to cross vast wilderness areas inhabited by all kinds of demonic beasts, especially a large number of flying ones. As a result, the round-trip cost between the two places was extremely expensive.
Back then, the two of them had paid a great price and followed a supply convoy to reach their destination.
As the capital of Huaxia, the Imperial Capital saw a large gathering of armed forces every year, transporting supplies to various major cities. Due to certain special items that couldn't be transported through spatial equipment, they had to be loaded into containers like cargo boxes. This way, on the return trip, these boxes would be empty, and by paying enough money, one could purchase a seat to the Imperial Capital.
However, because the Yan City municipal government was an official force, they reserved a certain number of specific spots each year. As a result, these spots were fiercely contested by the major families every year.
This was when the importance of connections became apparent.
With the strong support and help of the Wang and Lin families, they had successfully secured two precious spots for the two of them. They couldn't resist the pleading of their own son and daughter.
Friendship among children is that simple—they would go to great lengths for a friend.
Besides, the gap between Yan City and the Imperial Capital was simply too vast. Even if they sent people over there, they wouldn't be able to make much of a splash. The returns they could bring to the family, apart from some intelligence from that place, were very limited. So, they gave in to their children's wishes, treating it as an investment.
Little did they know, this investment would yield enormous returns.
As Su Ke pondered all this, he followed them to a restaurant.
Zhang Lan excitedly said, "To celebrate Little Ke's victory in the competition, we're going to feast today! I've already booked a private room!"
Su Ke asked with some confusion, "Uncle, how are you so sure I would win? What if I had lost?"
Zhang Lan replied with a smile, "If you won, we'd celebrate the victory. If you lost, we'd celebrate your hard work! After all, you've put in so much effort and sweat."
After speaking, Zhang Lan led everyone into the restaurant. The establishment looked quite upscale, with an elegant environment and luxurious decoration. Eating a meal here probably cost a fortune.
Although Zhang Lan's family ran a small business, this meal was still a bit expensive for them—they would likely feel some reluctance in their hearts.
Once the dishes were served, Su Ke began to eat heartily. His appetite was huge, and in no time, half the dishes on the table were devoured by him like a whirlwind.
Honestly, as his cultivation level improved, Su Ke found that his appetite seemed to be growing larger as well.
After the morning's competition ended, there were no more matches scheduled for Su Ke in the afternoon.
But he didn't choose to leave the competition venue. Instead, he stayed on site, watching the other competitors' matches with full concentration.
This continued until all matches were over, and all the winners were drawn into groups again.
This time, 164 people were participating, including those who had received a bye in the previous round, making a total of 82 groups.
Su Ke was lucky enough to be drawn into Group 11. It was a very favorable position—someone from the first wave would finish, and then he would be up.
However, since the strongest one had already been dealt with by him, he dared to say that no matter who came next, it would be an easy victory.
It wasn't until the next day that he saw Lin Ning standing opposite him.
Su Ke: "Ah, this..."
Lin Ning said rather helplessly, "I was hoping to compete for the top three, but it looks like that's out of the question now."
Su Ke: "Sigh, don't say that. We have to try, right? Who knows, we might succeed."
Lin Ning: "Will you go easy on me?"
Su Ke: "No."
Lin Ning: "Then why say anything at all!"
Su Ke: "Just trying to give you a little hope."
Lin Ning: "Thanks for nothing!"
Su Ke: "Hehe, you're welcome!"
Lin Ning: ...
When did this guy become such a smart-mouth?
At this moment, the referee announced:
"Both competitors, take your positions! The match begins!"
They both released their abilities simultaneously.
"Heatblast!"
Su Ke raised his right fist, burning with raging flames, and charged toward Lin Ning.
"Rock Shield!"
Lin Ning's left arm suddenly extended, forming a shield made of rock, large enough to cover most of her body.
When Su Ke's fist smashed into it, it only chipped off a few stones.
"You have one too?"
Lin Ning peeked her head out from the left side of the shield.
"Yeah, I mean, it's a critical moment like this—families with the means will provide one."
Su Ke thought: Actually, I don't have one... wait, no, I think I do!
The last skill crystal core his aunt gave him was used to strengthen Heatblast.
Since her shield was so hard, Su Ke wouldn't keep focusing on attacking it directly.
He tried to go around to the left, but circling around the center was slower than rotating from the middle itself. No matter how he changed his position and angle, Lin Ning could always rotate in time and quickly move to the corresponding position to block his attack with her shield.
"Tch, you only have one shield!"
Su Ke decided to change his strategy. He quickly backed up a few steps, creating some distance from Lin Ning.
Then, he raised his hand, concentrated, and summoned ten scorching fireballs. These fireballs burned in the air, radiating intense heat and light.
He controlled the fireballs, surrounding her from all directions.
This was an all-around attack, designed to break through Lin Ning's defense.
However, Lin Ning was not intimidated by this sudden change. She remained calm, gripping her shield tightly.
As the fireballs closed in, she used the movement techniques from her combat skills, dodging the fireballs with her agile posture whenever possible. For the ones she couldn't dodge, she swung her shield like a tennis racket to smash them away.
Unlock 30 chapters instantly (for the price of the old 20-chapter tier) and get 50–55 new chapters every month.
If you're enjoying the story, consider supporting me here:
patreon.com/anish_44
{
To My Amazing Readers,
I need to be real with you for a moment. I'm reaching out because I'm in a genuinely tough spot financially right now, and I need your help to keep the stories flowing. Writing these chapters for you is my passion, but circumstances have put me in a position where I desperately need monetary support to continue dedicating time to what we both love—this fic.
Here's what I'm offering if you join my highest tier:
🚀 Instant Gratification: The moment you sign up, you get 30 chapters immediately—no waiting, no delays. Just a massive backlog of content to binge.
📅 Consistent Monthly Rewards: After that, you'll receive 60 fresh chapters every single month—double the story, double the excitement, all for your favorite fic.
But it doesn't stop there. Your support means everything, and I want to repay your generosity with mass releases, bonus chapters, and exclusive content that won't be available anywhere else. The more support I get, the more I can pour back into creating the stories you love.
If you've ever enjoyed this fic, if you've ever stayed up late reading "just one more chapter," if this story has been there for you during hard times—please consider joining. You're not just funding chapters; you're keeping this story alive and helping a creator in dire need.
Join today, get those 30 chapters instantly, and let's keep this journey going together.
Thank you for even considering it. You mean the world to me.
}