Chapter 17: Invited

Chapter 17: Invited

As if she realized her words had made the atmosphere a little heavy, Xue Ruyan smiled apologetically at Jiang Tian.

"I'm sorry. Maybe what I said put unnecessary pressure on you."

She glanced at the time and continued, "I have to go now, or I'll be in trouble if I miss the train."

"By the way, you can invite Huang Xing to come over as a sparring partner. He's one of the best in the elite class. Training with him should be beneficial."

As Xue Ruyan spoke, she stood up, waved to Jiang Tian, and turned to leave.

It seemed she really was in a hurry—she didn't even bother changing out of her school uniform.

Jiang Tian also stood up and followed her to the garage.

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A Promise

Just as Xue Ruyan was about to step into the hovercar, Jiang Tian suddenly spoke.

"Xue, thank you for all your generous help."

"As a token of my gratitude, I'll make sure we get a good ranking in the assessment. I'll help you pass this first stage."

"My strength is actually not bad."

---

Xue Ruyan was about to get into the car when she suddenly paused, turning back to look at him.

After a brief moment of silence, she smiled and nodded.

"You're welcome. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the assessment."

After that, she got into the car, started the engine, and the hovercraft quickly disappeared from Jiang Tian's sight.

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Doubts on the Way

Inside the hovercraft, the middle-aged woman driving asked, "Miss, is this classmate Jiang Tian really reliable?"

Still flipping through some documents, Xue Ruyan responded without looking up, "Aunt Juan, why do you ask?"

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"Didn't he just brag to you before getting in the car?"

Aunt Juan shook her head.

"Another case of someone showing off and talking big in front of a young lady…"

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"Judging by his expression and tone, he was telling the truth."

Xue Ruyan shook her head.

"Many people like to hide their strength and wait for the right moment. He might be one of them."

"Based on his martial arts results, his blood energy value was just at the passing line—around 40 points. But maybe he's already exceeded 60 points?"

"If that's the case, his performance in the assessment should be quite decent."

---

Aunt Juan still shook her head.

"Miss, you're too optimistic. If he really had 60 points of blood energy, why didn't he join the elite class?"

"The resources in the ordinary class are far worse than the elite class. Even reaching 50 points there is tough."

Compared to Xue Ruyan, Aunt Juan didn't have any expectations for Jiang Tian.

She was just hoping he wouldn't drag her young lady down.

---

"I've already arranged everything. I won't rely on others. I'll just do my best."

Xue Ruyan said no more, focusing on the documents in her hands.

---

Checking In With Home

Back at the villa, Jiang Tian returned to the projection screen in the living room, flipping through the assessment materials while calling his parents.

After explaining everything, his father, Jiang Yuan, reminded him:

"That classmate of yours is a good person with a kind heart. Son, work hard and don't let her down."

"Also, Master Huang from the Yue City Patrol Office came to our house earlier. He told us not to spread the news about you and the Starry Sky Gate."

"I don't know why, but you should be extra careful."

---

"Dad, don't worry. I understand the situation."

Jiang Tian nodded and hung up the phone.

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An Unexpected Call

Just as he ended the call, his best friend Huang Xing was calling.

The moment he answered, Huang Xing's voice exploded through the phone.

"Lao Jiang! What the hell did you do?!"

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"Huh?"

Jiang Tian was confused.

---

"You know my uncle is the Lord of Xunfu, right?"

"I asked him if I could borrow his training room to help you out."

"He said it's fine to lend me the training room—but I'm not even qualified to train with you!"

"What did you do to make my uncle react like this?!"

---

Jiang Tian remained silent.

It was probably because of the Starry Sky Gate incident.

Since he had promised Teacher Zhou Shang to keep it a secret, he wouldn't say anything more.

Other people had worked hard to keep things confidential for him, and he wouldn't waste their efforts.

---

On the other end, Huang Xing sensed that Jiang Tian wasn't going to answer and didn't push.

"Alright, I get it. Rules are rules. We'll talk when we meet. We still have to plan out the next few days of training."

Even though Jiang Tian didn't say anything, Huang Xing understood.

He guessed his best friend must have signed some kind of confidentiality agreement.

---

"Maybe Jiang Tian is even stronger than I thought."

He grinned, genuinely happy for his friend.

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An Invitation

Jiang Tian shook his head and explained the situation.

"Xue said you can come to her house to train with me. She has equipment we can use."

"Pack your stuff and come over."

"I'll send you the location."

---

Huang Xing didn't hesitate.

"Got it! I'm coming right now!"

He ended the call without another word.

---

Jiang Tian put down his phone and continued reading the assessment materials.

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Flame Bird Tribe

The Flame Birds were the alien race they would encounter in the exam.

From photos and video recordings, they were large avian creatures, about 1.3 meters tall.

They had a red sac on their necks that allowed them to spit flames.

Their sharp feathers acted as natural weapons, making them lethal in close combat.

They were an intelligent race, with their own language and culture.

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A Dark History

When humans first encountered them, the Flame Birds had caused massive casualties.

They were cruel, loved eating human hearts and livers, and refused any form of negotiation.

Because of this, humanity eventually wiped out their leaders, crushed their culture, and turned their remaining population into training targets.

Regular purges were carried out to prevent their resurgence.

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Jiang Tian's True Focus

While studying the materials, Jiang Tian's attention shifted.

Instead of focusing on their combat abilities, he was intrigued by their agriculture and spices.

Flame Fruit.

A spice made by grinding the fruit of fire-resistant trees.

It had a powerful, fiery flavor—similar to chili peppers.

It wasn't expensive, but was rarely used in human cuisine.

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A Culinary Vision

"Flame-roasted chicken wings…"

"Crispy, spicy chicken drumsticks…"

Jiang Tian swallowed his saliva.

His mind was already filled with ideas for how to use these ingredients.

---

At that moment, the villa's intelligent system notified him.

Ding! Visitor at the door.

It was Huang Xing—arriving right on time.

---

"Perfect!"

Jiang Tian grinned.

"The real training begins now."