Power Beyond Perception

Murong Haitang was enjoying a bowl of instant noodles when something Yao Ziyan mentioned caught her attention.

A bird with Phoenix blood? The Nine Stars Mountain Range?

Wait a moment—could it be the Scarlet Golden Blackbird they encountered in the Nine Stars Mountain Range?

"Uh, Yao Ziyan, about that bird you mentioned… What's its strength?" Murong Haitang asked after some thought, her tone cautious.

Yao Ziyan tilted her head slightly, a bit puzzled by the question but still answered, "Its strength? Barely adequate—about Pathseeker, third rank."

"Pathseeker, third rank..." Murong Haitang's smile turned wry.

There was no doubt about it—it really was the Scarlet Golden Blackbird.

Still, she couldn't help but feel puzzled. Even though she knew the Scarlet Golden Blackbird was female, it shouldn't have been laying eggs yet, right? Well, that was a mystery for another time.

---

Nearby, some of the students who were new to the shop overheard Yao Ziyan's words and frowned.

"Pathseeker, third rank, and she says that's barely adequate?"

"She's just a clerk. How could she say something so arrogant?"

Some students whispered among themselves, their gazes shifting toward Yao Ziyan. While her beauty was undeniable, their initial admiration was giving way to disdain.

What a pity. I didn't expect someone with such a personality, they thought.

Gu Yunxi and Jiang Wanshang, however, exchanged knowing glances. They were fully aware of Yao Ziyan's true strength, but instead of intervening, they chose to watch the scene unfold.

Even Murong Haitang kept silent.

In her opinion, this was the perfect opportunity for these overconfident students to learn a lesson about the vastness of the cultivation world.

---

Yao Ziyan wasn't bothered by their murmurs. She simply smiled at the young, naive faces before her.

"Did your parents ever teach you an important truth?" she asked, her voice calm yet laced with subtle authority.

"What truth?" someone asked hesitantly.

"Never underestimate anyone," Yao Ziyan replied with a faint smile.

She raised her slender fingers and snapped them lightly.

Snap.

In an instant, the space around her fingertip collapsed, forming a small, dark vortex. It was as if a miniature black hole had appeared, warping the air and exuding a terrifying presence.

Luo Chuan, observing the scene, shook his head helplessly. She's my clerk, so I'll let her bend the shop rules a little.

Meanwhile, he took another bite of the egg-fried rice in front of him. The flavor was still amazing, but it felt a bit dry. Reaching for the Coke beside him, he took a long sip.

Gulp, gulp… Ahh!

The refreshing coolness washed over him.

---

The students, however, were frozen in place, their eyes wide as they stared at the black hole forming at Yao Ziyan's fingertips.

What had they just witnessed?

A single snap of her fingers had torn the fabric of space itself.

Even cultivators at Pathseeker couldn't do something like that so casually!

For a moment, the room was silent.

Yao Ziyan erased the black hole with a casual wave of her hand, her expression calm. "Do you still think I'm talking big?"

The students quickly shook their heads, their earlier disdain replaced by awe and terror.

Yao Ziyan smiled faintly. Before working at Origin Mall, her reaction to being questioned would've been far more... violent. But now, after spending time here, her temper had mellowed significantly.

The students no longer dared to look down on her, instead forming a silent consensus: Origin Mall was no ordinary place. If even the clerk was this powerful, what about the owner?

---

A few students started whispering among themselves.

"Wait, didn't she mention a bird at Pathseeker, third rank? Isn't that the Scarlet Golden Blackbird that brought us here?"

"In other words… the bird she casually called 'little' was actually… that?"

Realizing this, they looked at Yao Ziyan with renewed shock.

---

The brief episode passed, and the students returned to enjoying their instant noodles, though the taste now felt somewhat overshadowed by their lingering astonishment.

Meanwhile, Luo Chuan and Yao Ziyan, still eating their egg-fried rice, were subconsciously ignored.

---

After finishing their noodles, the group of students exchanged uneasy glances. The mood in the room grew tense.

Gu Yunxi finally broke the silence, frowning slightly as she looked at her classmates. "So... there are only ten gaming pods. How do we split them?"

This had been a concern of hers earlier, but now the problem could no longer be avoided.