Wang Shixian nodded. "Of course you can watch. What's the big deal? Our boss is pretty nice. By the way, did you come on a raft too?"
By then, You Zhenghao and the other three had already boarded the raft. Qin Xin called out, "Shixian, hurry up. If we delay any longer, we'll really miss it. Oh, and Su Li, if you're interested, come along too."
Seeing their enthusiastic invitation, Su Li nodded in agreement. In truth, he was quite curious about Financial City and Fengjing Center Tower, wanting to understand them and see if there was a chance to form an alliance—or better yet, recruit them all into his "Golden Eagle Alliance."
"You get on the raft first. I'll come find you in a moment," Su Li said, then jumped off toward the other side of the building. The Crocodile-Toothed Turtle surfaced, and he landed steadily on its back.
Wang Shixian thought Su Li was boarding a raft from the other side, so she called out from a distance, "Alright, paddle over quickly. We'll wait for you here." As she spoke, she went downstairs and got onto her own raft.
Su Li rode the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle around the building. When he reappeared before Wang Shixian and the other four, their eyes widened in astonishment.
They never expected Su Li to show up riding a giant turtle.
"What... what is that thing?" You Zhenghao was dumbfounded.
Qin Xin glanced at him and said, "That's a sea turtle, right? Only a sea turtle could grow this big. Su Li, how did you do it? Does the sea turtle listen to you?"
Su Li had already put away the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword. Hearing the question, he smiled and said, "I fought it and beat it into submission. Now it obediently lets me ride it."
The five of them marveled at his words.
Wang Shixian said excitedly, "I want to try next time too. Su Li, can I ride it?" Girls were always curious about such things.
Su Li nodded. "Of course." He guided the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle to stop beside the raft. Wang Shixian reached out her hand, and Su Li took it, helping her carefully step onto the turtle's back.
"Hold onto this rope loop," Su Li instructed.
"Mm." Wang Shixian sat down, grabbed the rope in front of her, and looked thrilled.
"Are you steady?"
"Yeah, I'm steady. Su Li, you're really amazing." Riding a giant turtle across the water was a first for her, and it improved her impression of Su Li even more. She found him fascinating.
In the current situation, being able to ride a giant turtle for a spin on the water gave her a thrill no less than riding in a Lamborghini before, greatly satisfying her vanity.
The four men standing on the raft exchanged glances. You Zhenghao asked curiously, "Su Li, I just saw you holding a sword. Where did it go?"
Before Su Li could answer, Qin Xin snorted lightly. "Country bumpkin, that's called a spirit-source equipment. It can be stored away or brought out. Our boss has one too, but his isn't a weapon. I heard him say that the madman from Dongfang Tower has a spirit-source weapon—he can pull it out from his chest when using it and put it back when done. Su Li, am I right?"
Su Li smiled slightly. "Yes."
Hearing this, Wang Shixian and You Zhenghao looked at Su Li with newfound respect, sensing he was no ordinary person—not only could he ride a giant turtle, but he also had a spirit-source weapon.
"Let's go. If we dawdle any longer, we'll miss it." Qin Xin picked up an oar, and they all started paddling together. The raft left the building and headed east.
Su Li rode the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle, letting it slowly follow behind the raft.
Wang Shixian said somewhat disappointedly, "Is this turtle only this fast?"
Su Li replied, "No, it's very fast, but we need to follow them. We can't just leave them behind, can we?"
Wang Shixian laughed. "What's the big deal? Have the turtle speed up. I'll tell them." Then she raised her voice, "Hey, we're going ahead. You guys paddle slowly behind. Su Li, hurry—" She kept urging Su Li to go faster.
Su Li had no choice. Knowing it was her first time riding the giant turtle and she was excited and curious, he had to fulfill her wish and made the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle speed up.
The Crocodile-Toothed Turtle immediately overtook the raft and charged into the distance, moving incredibly fast in the water. No matter how hard the four men paddled with their wooden oars, the distance between them grew wider and wider.
"That damn woman, she forgets us as soon as she finds a new man." You Zhenghao on the raft cursed as he watched Wang Shixian and Su Li ride the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle farther away.
Qin Xin smiled faintly. "She's always been that kind of woman. I bet her ex-boyfriends had a green prairie on their heads. Luckily, we're just using each other, getting what we need without real feelings. Otherwise, who could stand her falling for someone new every time?"
"By the way, I heard she once tried to seduce the boss. Did she succeed?" You Zhenghao asked curiously. "You're closer to the boss. Know any inside scoop?"
Qin Xin rolled his eyes. "The boss has Sister Xiaoya. Could she seduce him? Don't spread that around. If Sister Xiaoya finds out, she'll cause trouble for her, and we'll be in a mess too."
You Zhenghao nodded and didn't ask further.
Su Li rode the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle with Wang Shixian. The turtle's speed was fully unleashed, and the wind whistled past their faces, bringing an indescribable comfort.
Wang Shixian kept giggling, clearly thrilled.
"By the way, Miss Wang, who's the madman from Dongfang Tower you mentioned earlier?"
Su Li was very interested in Dongfang Tower—after all, it was a 72-story building, a landmark in the New Development Zone and the second tallest in Nanjiang City, very famous. The person who could occupy Dongfang Tower was no ordinary figure. Hearing from Qin Xin that the madman also had a spirit-source weapon made Su Li even more curious.
Wang Shixian said, "You mean that madman? He's a really tough guy, the younger brother of Dongfang Tower's leader. I heard the leader isn't that strong; he only became the leader because of his crazy brother. Everyone says the madman is exceptionally powerful, daring to dive deep underwater alone to hunt monsters. Even the five of us wouldn't dare to dive casually."
"Of course, I've never seen him either. I've just heard people talk about it after meals. Someone from Financial City apparently ran into him and saw it firsthand. Anyway, he's a very strong and crazy guy, but he seems a bit unhinged, so everyone calls him the madman."
Su Li let out an "oh," feeling a slight chill inside. Daring to dive deep underwater alone to hunt monsters? Even he didn't have that kind of courage now. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't go deep underwater either.
"But since you can ride this giant turtle and have a spirit-source weapon, I think you're pretty impressive too. Honestly, are you the boss of Shimao Building you mentioned? I don't believe there's anyone stronger than you there." Wang Shixian was very curious about Su Li, finding him mysterious.
Su Li said, "I'm just average. Getting this weapon was pure luck. By the way, where are we going? Do you know where they're fighting?"
Wang Shixian took a deep breath and smiled. "You're really modest, unlike some men who flaunt their abilities as if afraid others won't know. As for where our boss and the Fengjing Center Tower boss are fighting, it's definitely that place. Just head toward Financial City, and you'll see it when you get close."
"Alright, got it." Su Li said, "By the way, what's your boss's name?"
"Our boss? His name is Wang Xu. He's a nice guy, easy to get along with. I'll introduce you sometime."
"Okay." Su Li nodded slightly. The Financial City apartment building was getting closer, and soon he saw a building with about three floors above water between the Financial City apartment building and Fengjing Center Tower. Many rafts were parked there, and on the rooftop, he could vaguely see a crowd gathered.
He immediately knew where the duel between the two building bosses was taking place.
"See that? It's right there." Without Wang Shixian pointing, Su Li already knew. He quickly guided the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle toward the building between the Financial City apartment building and Fengjing Center Tower.
Not wanting to attract attention by being seen on the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle, Su Li rode it around to the other side of the building, where no rafts were parked and no one on the rooftop edge was watching. He stopped the turtle there.
"You're really low-key. Afraid of drawing attention?" Wang Shixian knew why he chose to stop there and looked at Su Li, growing more fond of him.
Su Li didn't know how to answer her, so he just said, "Let's hurry up. I wonder if it's started yet."
"Let's go." Wang Shixian led Su Li, climbing up the outer wall.
When they reached the rooftop, they saw a crowd of at least thirty or forty people gathered. They were mainly split into two groups, with three people standing in the middle talking. Everyone's attention was on the center, so no one paid much attention to Su Li and Wang Shixian climbing up.
Wang Shixian pulled Su Li toward one of the groups. She knew those people—they were from the Financial City apartment building. The other group across from them was unfamiliar, clearly from Fengjing Center Tower.
"Shixian, you're here? Where are Qin Xin and the others?" Someone in the group who knew Wang Shixian well was surprised to see her with a strange young man, but not the other four, and asked quietly.
The group's attention had been on the three in the middle, but now they glanced at Wang Shixian, then at Su Li, sizing him up curiously.
"Qin Xin and the others are coming later. They'll be here soon. Hasn't it started yet?" Wang Shixian then remembered something and pointed at Su Li. "This is Su Li, a friend we met on the way. I brought him along."
Hearing this, the group nodded at Su Li as a greeting. It wasn't uncommon for wanderers or people from other places to join the Financial City apartment building, so seeing Wang Shixian bring Su Li wasn't too surprising.
But Su Li's striking appearance and demeanor made them take a few extra looks, guessing he was a new recruit to Financial City, with Wang Shixian as his sponsor.
"Has it started?" Wang Shixian asked quietly, looking at the three in the center.
"Almost. They're discussing the rules." The man beside her, who knew her well, whispered.
Su Li stood next to Wang Shixian, watching the scene.
The two groups formed a large circle, with three people standing in the middle.
One of them was a man in his late twenties, about 1.7 meters tall. Though young, he had an impressive bearing, especially his thick eyebrows and sharp, spirited eyes that exuded authority. Apart from being slightly short, his appearance was quite striking.
Wang Shixian whispered, "Su Li, that youngest and most handsome one is our boss."
Su Li hummed in acknowledgment, looking at Wang Xu. He secretly activated his "Peek Rune" to observe and found that, like himself, Wang Xu was already an 8th-level spirit-source user.
He then looked at the other two in the center—both were also 8th-level spirit-source users.
Su Li wasn't surprised. After all, even Gong Xiao, Ling Yi, and Wu Feng had reached level 8. For Wang Xu, as the boss of the Financial City apartment building, to be at level 8 was nothing unusual.
The other two likely held similar status to Wang Xu, or they wouldn't be standing in the center.
"The one opposite him is the boss of Fengjing Center Tower, named Jiang Xiaodong. As for the one standing between them, I don't know him either."
Listening to Wang Shixian's introduction, Su Li saw that Jiang Xiaodong, facing Wang Xu, was around thirty, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, wearing a black leather jacket and pants, his hair slicked back, giving him a roguish vibe.
Between Wang Xu and Jiang Xiaodong stood another person.
This man was older, at least forty, tall and muscular, with bulging muscles visible on his neck. These muscles clearly weren't like Su Li's, which were strengthened later.
Muscles gained through level-up basic enhancements could be controlled at will—they didn't show in a non-combat state and didn't bulge. For instance, Su Li normally looked like a young man with not-so-developed muscles, unless he activated his muscles or entered "Devil State," causing them to swell.
This man's muscles were developed before becoming a spirit-source user, so even in a normal state, they remained bulging and developed, like a fitness enthusiast.
Even Wang Shixian didn't know him. Just then, the man beside her whispered, "That guy is from Dongfang Tower. Our boss respects him a lot. They say he's the second-in-command at Dongfang Tower. He came to Financial City this morning, probably to see the boss about something. Since the boss was about to duel with Jiang Xiaodong from Fengjing Center Tower, he invited him to be the referee."
"Oh." Wang Shixian nodded. She hadn't expected this muscular middle-aged man to have such a significant background, no wonder he could stand between Wang Xu and Jiang Xiaodong.
Su Li listened to the three talking. Wang Xu said, "Let's keep the rules simple: either someone falls and can't get up, or someone admits defeat."
Jiang Xiaodong took a drag of his cigarette, blew out smoke rings, and said casually, "Fine, I don't care. Either way, you're losing this time."
Wang Xu chuckled. "Jiang Xiaodong, you're pretty cocky. We've known each other for a while. I admit you're strong, but saying you can definitely beat me? That's not certain."
Jiang Xiaodong grinned, showing his teeth. "We'll see." Then he turned to the middle-aged man from Dongfang Tower. "Brother Zhao, shall we start?"
Brother Zhao nodded. "Alright. Brother Wang honors me by asking me to be the referee, and Brother Jiang agrees. I'll do my best to be fair. Rest assured, I'll be impartial and won't favor either side. If you have no other issues, shall I count down from three to one to start?"
"Fine." Wang Xu and Jiang Xiaodong both nodded.
Zhao Haoyang slowly stepped back, and the others also moved back a bit, creating more space, knowing the two bosses were about to fight.
"Three!" Zhao Haoyang's steady voice rang out. The crowd around instinctively tensed up, each hoping their own boss would win.
Wang Xu clenched his left fist, and a blue glove materialized on his left hand.
Su Li noticed this with interest—it was a spirit-source equipment. Wang Xu's left hand had something similar to his own Death God Glove on his right hand.
Zhao Haoyang's eyes lit up. "So Brother Wang also has a spirit-source equipment. Impressive. These are treasures only obtained by hunting rare beasts." His tone was full of admiration.
Wang Xu smiled at Zhao Haoyang.
"Two!" Zhao Haoyang continued counting.
Jiang Xiaodong still looked nonchalant, tossing his cigarette butt to the ground and stamping it out, then began stepping back to create distance from Wang Xu.
"One!" Zhao Haoyang finally called out the number and quickly retreated to clear the space.
The moment Zhao Haoyang said "one," Wang Xu lunged forward.
He knew Jiang Xiaodong's abilities were suited for long-range combat, putting him at a disadvantage up close, so he wanted to close the distance.
Jiang Xiaodong raised his right arm, his five fingers curling inward. Suddenly, his right arm and hand began to twist, emitting cracking sounds.
In an instant, Jiang Xiaodong's right arm completely transformed into a giant spear made of flesh and blood.
As he stepped back, he raised his arm. His five fingers acted like the trigger of this flesh-and-blood spear. His thumb pressed down, and a flash of fire burst from the muzzle. "Bang!" A bullet formed from a bone in his body shot toward the charging Wang Xu.
Wang Xu let out a loud shout, as if anticipating this. He reacted swiftly, twisting his body to dodge the bone bullet. Flames rose from both his hands.
The flames were strange, with crackling blue lightning swirling within them.
"Thunderfire—" Wang Xu roared, swinging his arms. Flames shot out from his hands, and the blue lightning within them crackled with a sharp sound, creating an impressive spectacle.