"Together?"
Su Chen was surprised by the suggestion. This Wei Zhenghong... seed to really enjoy joining in on the fun.
"What is it?" Wei Zhenghong asked bluntly, noticing Su Chen's silence. "Is there sothing you can't say?"
'Sothing I can't say...' Su Chen was secretly left speechless. Thinking of this chosen Morning Star rank title—World-Suppressing Great Demon of the Tyrant Sea—he realized it fit the man perfectly. Blunt and rugged.
He wasn't in a hurry to establish his ranking anyway; it had rely been an excuse to avoid drinking. He had originally planned to spend so ti familiarizing himself with his newly acquired class.
But since Wei Zhenghong had brought it up, he didn't really mind. It just ant making another trip.
"There's nothing I can't say. Let's go together, then," Su Chen replied, standing up with a chuckle.
Wei Zhenghong also stood up. Seeing Su Chen heading toward the docking port, his expression froze for a mont before he sighed in realization. "I almost forgot. This floating island only has basic facilities. Since you just beca its owner, you haven't built a challenge room here yet. We still have to go out."
"Oh?" Su Chen paused, looking back in surprise. "You can build a challenge center on the island?"
"A challenge room, not a challenge center," Wei Zhenghong corrected. "There's a subtle difference in their functions, but they are both used for challenging rankings. After all, there are a lot of people in the Sanctuary. If there was only one challenge center, the demand would far exceed the supply."
"You probably have other things to take care of. Otherwise, just call another day, and we'll head to the challenge center together."
Wei Zhenghong remarked. Habitual thinking had led him to assu that Su Chen already had a challenge room here.
Since Su Chen had just returned from outside without visiting the challenge center, it ant he had other matters to attend to. Wei Zhenghong figured his arrival had likely disrupted Su Chen's plans.
"It's nothing urgent. Let's go," Su Chen waved his hand, muttering to himself. 'If I have to call you another day, it'll look bad if I don't. I might as well just get it done today.'
Seeing this, Wei Zhenghong didn't argue and simply followed along. Su Chen then asked, "What are the requirents for building a challenge room?"
Wei Zhenghong explained, "Mainly space and financial requirents. Different challenge rooms can support different combat tiers. The higher the specifications, the more expensive it is. Plus, they must include strict review asures to prevent cheating during the challenges."
"Oh..." Su Chen glanced at him, sighing helplessly. "It looks like I'll need to save up for a while."
"Haha..." Wei Zhenghong burst into laughter. "Save up for what? I'll gift you one of the highest specifications later."
"I don't think that's appropriate," Su Chen hesitated.
Wei Zhenghong didn't mind at all. "Consider it an apology for intruding today."
"Alright, thank you, Brother Wei," Su Chen finally accepted.
As they spoke, the two arrived at the docking port. Wei Zhenghong beckoned Su Chen over. "Co, take my Tyrant Cloud."
"Tyrant... Cloud..." Su Chen's eyes shifted as he stared at the oversized, gold-painted aircraft. He noticed that its gleam wasn't just a simple paint job, but rather the result of countless reflective, scale-like flakes overlapping each other.
Depending on the angle, the light illuminated a shifting gradient from amber to pure gold. Its streamlined exterior had sharp, distinct edges, resembling the tip of a spear. It was incredibly eye-catching.
Wei Zhenghong's eyes glead with pride. "This is custom-made. It took a lot of pestering for my master to agree to it. In the entire Bronze Core area, this is the only one of its kind."
"Is that so?" Su Chen was left speechless. Glancing at the smug Wei Zhenghong, he praised, "It truly is unique and incredibly imposing."
The interior was extrely spacious, featuring a small table in the center with more than enough room for the two of them to sit across from each other.
After sitting down, Wei Zhenghong's upper body still towered half a head over Su Chen. He pulled a bottle of crimson liquor and chilled glass cups from the aircraft's internal liquor cabinet.
As the liquid poured into the cups, it proved to be quite viscous, rippling gently. It was as red as blood and emitted a fiery, pungent aroma, clearly a potent and extraordinary spirit.
"No... I'm good..." Seeing that Wei Zhenghong was about to offer him a drink, Su Chen hastily refused.
"Do you think I'm too flashy?" Wei Zhenghong chugged a large mouthful. A flush of red flashed across his face as he let out a satisfied sigh before asking the question.
By now, the Tyrant Cloud had already drifted out of the docking port.
Su Chen muttered to himself, thinking that if he took a single sip, he would probably pass out on the spot. At the sa ti, he gave a diplomatic response. "It's only natural."
"A Star Seed should be flashy!" Wei Zhenghong slamd his cup heavily onto the table. It was a mystery what material the glass was made of, as it surprisingly didn't shatter.
He rumbled in a deep voice, "If you act too gently, even if so people greet you with smiles, they will subconsciously look down on you in their hearts."
"This kind of underestimation will inevitably turn into contempt sooner or later. You have to make those people fear you, be terrified of you, and revere you. Even when they ntion you behind your back, they should dread you like a venomous snake."
Wei Zhenghong took several consecutive gulps. "Don't be like that guy Shen Yi'an. He's so wishy-washy, looking like a woman. So what if he maintains good relationships with everyone? When push cos to shove, you won't see many of them jumping out to speak up for him."
This was the guidance of an experienced senior. After listening, Su Chen simply replied, "I appreciate the advice."
He guessed that Wei Zhenghong's style of doing things had a lot to do with him almost being driven to death by Qin Yun in the past.
Never having suffered another's hardships, one shouldn't preach to them about being kind. Naturally, Su Chen wasn't going to comnt too much on it.
"However..." Wei Zhenghong suddenly shifted his tone. Perhaps feeling that his words had been too ruthless, he added, "You still have to follow the rules of the faction. The number of Star Seeds expelled by the faction is by no ans small either."
Su Chen naturally understood. Although a Star Seed held a noble status, the fundantal reason the faction nurtured them was so they could beco a core force that would bring benefits to the faction.
If soone beca wildly arrogant, disregarded everyone else, and even damaged the faction's interests before fully maturing as a Star Seed, nurturing them would just be raising an ungrateful traitor. When it ca ti to expel them, the faction would not be lenient.
Cases of Star Seeds being expelled were recorded not only in the Bronze Faction but also in the other major factions, and even within the Royal Court.
"Understood," Su Chen nodded. Wei Zhenghong's words contained genuine advice and expressed goodwill, so he simply needed to listen.
"Why are you also so ek?" Wei Zhenghong muttered a few complaints, seeing Su Chen's attentive listening posture.
'This older brother...' Su Chen was speechless. 'It's not like you want to argue back with you, do you?'
"Hmm... the Saint Ranking... You are currently a Tier-4 professional, right?" Wei Zhenghong had already opened the Saint Ranking, swiping his finger up and down. It took him quite a while to find his target. "The current top ranker of Tier 4 is... Lin Lixuan, at rank 765
.
"
"I actually know of him. He's around your age, from one of the branch families of the Lin clan. He possesses a double profound purple talent and is currently receiving focused cultivation..." Wei Zhenghong frowned slightly, glancing at Su Chen. "That guy has been ticulously grood since childhood. He's quite exceptional..."
The so-called top ranker was the strongest person within a particular tier.
After talking for a bit, he closed the virtual screen and spoke with a hint of reassurance, "For your first ti establishing a ranking, don't overthink the placent. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."
After all, Su Chen hailed from a barren planet. The fact that his foundation was flawless and entirely composed of top-tier classes was already quite astonishing.
As for other aspects, it was only natural for him to be slightly behind.
Wei Zhenghong couldn't help but add, "It's a pity that anyone who enters the Sanctuary must establish their ranking within a month. Otherwise, you could have waited a bit longer."
Once the ranking was set and Su Chen's preliminary training projection was generated, trouble was bound to occur.
Even though everyone knew Su Chen ca from a barren planet, his actual combat strength might not compare to those ticulously nurtured mbers of the Sanctuary.
But once the results were displayed, so people might deliberately ignore the reasons behind them.
"It has to happen sooner or later," Su Chen said, appearing quite calm.
"Remaining calm in the face of major events," Wei Zhenghong sighed with even deeper admiration. "A barren planet truly tempers a person."
As he spoke, he suddenly asked curiously, "Did you really survive the corruption of a treacherous god's power?"
"It was rely luck," Su Chen shook his head. "Excessive humility is just showing off," Wei Zhenghong grinned. "In that case, I don't need to worry about you being hurt by whatever rumors and gossip arise later."
Su Chen chuckled, not taking it to heart. This Wei Zhenghong was indeed an interesting character.
Most normal professionals spent the majority of their years developing their classes and fulfilling various requirents.
Although they appeared older, they hadn't actually experienced that much, and their minds couldn't exactly be called mature—just like Wei Zhenghong.
It hadn't been long since Su Chen left the Bronze Core before he had to double back.
The challenge center was located on the southwest side, occupying a rather vast area. It looked like a closed-off sports stadium with silver-gray tal walls that gave off a matte, dark gray hue under the light.
The interior was divided into nurous small rooms. Since the vast majority of Sanctuary mbers lived in the three nearby satellite cities, they didn't have enough money or residential space to support building their own challenge rooms.
This challenge center was still the place they visited most frequently.
"Star Seed Wei..." The person receiving them was a deacon stationed here. The mont he saw Wei Zhenghong, his face twitched before forcing out a smile. "Long ti no see."
"Ah, it's you... Little Deng..." Wei Zhenghong acted casually. "It has been a while. Why don't you ever co over to my place for a chat?"
"I've been a bit busy lately and couldn't get away..." Deacon Deng laughed dryly. His gaze swept over to Su Chen, and he hastily added, "Star Seed Su is here too. It's truly a pity that I couldn't witness the phenonon of the Ancient King Stele with my own eyes the day before yesterday."
'Is Wei Zhenghong really that terrifying?' Su Chen muttered internally.
Before he could respond, he saw Wei Zhenghong's massive hand slap squarely onto Deacon Deng's shoulder. The deacon's face instantly went pale. "Don't use my brother to change the subject."
Deacon Deng swallowed hard and hurried to ask, "Do... do you have any orders for ?"
"My brother needs to establish his ranking. Find an empty room, a big one," Wei Zhenghong ordered bluntly.
"Right away... right away..." Deacon Deng nodded repeatedly. "Room 6651."
"Junior Brother Deng..."
Right at that mont, another person walked through the door, his face beaming with a passionate smile.
Su Chen raised an eyebrow. It was actually Zhou Yunyang again. Was the guy a loiterer? He had wandered from the Spirit Hall all the way to the challenge center.
"Ah, Su..." Zhou Yunyang also spotted Su Chen. His face lit up with joy, and just as he was about to call out, he caught sight of the burly figure standing beside him from the corner of his eye.
His expression changed slightly. He clamped his mouth shut, and the foot he had just stepped forward with imdiately pivoted, dragging his upper half around. He walked right back out the door, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
'So smooth... What a talent,' Su Chen stared blankly. This Wei Zhenghong was truly a nightmare for everyone. Even soone as slick as Zhou Yunyang didn't dare face him.
"That guy is the most slippery of them all. Keep your interactions with him to a minimum." Wei Zhenghong retracted his gaze and followed the trembling Deacon Deng with Su Chen, arriving in front of an empty room.
"Fuck... The few old bastards ahead of are too damn tough..."
Coincidentally, the door to the adjacent room opened, and a profusely sweating young man walked out, cursing under his breath.
He bumped right into Wei Zhenghong. His face stiffened, and he gulped before quickly saying, "Star Seed... Wei..."
Seeing Wei Zhenghong give a nonchalant nod, the guy pressed himself carefully against the wall, preparing to slip away. But then he heard Wei Zhenghong state flatly, "Wait..."
Su Chen saw clearly that the young man's face turned white at a visible rate, his eyes filled with apprehension.
"Your martial granduncle is standing right here. Can't you see him?" Wei Zhenghong frowned.
"Greetings, Martial Granduncle Su Chen..." The young man finally reacted and hastily bowed.
"Hello, hello..." Su Chen replied helplessly, watching as the other party fled as if escaping for his life.
Only after exiting the challenge center did the young man feel as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He clicked his tongue in secret. 'How did I run into that jinx? Good thing I slipped away quickly...'
'But...' He changed his train of thought and began to mutter, 'This newly appointed Star Seed ca here... Could he be establishing his ranking?'
'He seems to be Tier 4 as well... I wonder if he can surpass ...' He opened the Saint Ranking and looked at his own placent: Rank 1452, Wang Ye, Tier-4 professional.
'He cos from a barren planet, so he might really be weaker than ,' Wang Ye muttered to himself. The thought of a Star Seed potentially ranking lower than him made him crack a grin.
'Hmm... Not necessarily.' He second-guessed himself. 'After all, he gained the recognition of the Ancient King Stele, so he definitely isn't simple.'
'Whatever. Whether he ranks high or low has nothing to do with . I'll just call the others over to join in on the fun.' Recalling a few acquaintances, he switched tabs and quickly sent out ssages.
As a newly appointed Star Seed, the faction's curiosity and fascination with Su Chen hadn't yet faded. A concrete display of strength like establishing a ranking would inevitably attract a lot of attention.
anwhile, Su Chen had already entered the room. It was fairly spacious, with black tal panels covering the floor and walls. A virtual screen appeared before his eyes, accompanied by an energetic voice in his ear: "Star Seed Su Chen, currently unranked. Do you wish to proceed with the initial ranking establishnt?"
"Yes," Su Chen nodded.
"Please prepare yourself. During the ranking challenge, the use of weapons and the consumption of potions are strictly prohibited..."
The chanized voice in his ear rattled off many precautions. After all, this wasn't a life-or-death struggle, but a specific assessnt of his raw strength, which naturally required the exclusion of all external factors.
The only things he could utilize were his own class abilities.
"If a class ability is related to a weapon, can it be used?" Su Chen couldn't help but ask, thinking of the armor integrated into the surface of his skin.
"Strongly correlated abilities can be used, but they cannot exceed your own class tier," the voice replied.
Su Chen inquired further and learned that "strongly correlated" referred to class abilities that would be rendered useless without a weapon—such as his own Bone Armorer class.
On the other hand, abilities like imbuing elental power, which could be applied to either the body or a weapon, did not count.
After finishing the precautions, the voice went over the general rules.
At the sa ti, streams of energetic light converged from all directions, forming a vortex in the center of the room.
As its spinning speed gradually slowed, the threads of light settled into layers within, outlining a humanoid silhouette about two ters tall. The edges continuously fluctuated, as if viewed through a rippling curtain of water.
Where its facial features should have been, there was only a constantly swirling vortex of energy shifting in shades of depth.
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