Chapter 339: Chapter 151: Xuanhuan Battle Royale
Shen Bai analyzed the situation for a moment and quickly understood.
’From the looks of it, those three have already targeted me. And judging by their posture, it seems they’ve successfully teamed up,’ Shen Bai thought.
Xu Qian nodded. "Lord Shen is right. If you hadn’t appeared, they might not have teamed up. But once you showed up, they naturally gathered together. Their purpose is to deal with you."
Shen Bai smiled. "And you’re telling me all this, Brother Xu, because you want to be friends with me?"
Xu Qian nodded very frankly. "That’s right. How can one navigate the Jianghu without friends? The more friends you have, the more doors open for you. Among everyone here, I feel that you, Brother Shen, are the most worthy of befriending."
As he said this, Xu Qian cleverly switched from "Lord Shen" to "Brother Shen" to close the distance between them.
Shen Bai didn’t find this type of person particularly detestable.
Someone approaching you with a clear purpose wasn’t actually that scary.
What was truly terrifying were those who approached you without revealing their intentions—they were the ones with the deepest secrets.
Shen Bai thought for a moment, then asked, "From what you’re saying, Brother Xu, it seems you’re extremely well-informed about these matters."
Since his arrival, he couldn’t recognize a single person, yet Xu Qian seemed to be very familiar with the situation. An idea formed in Shen Bai’s mind.
Xu Qian patted his chest and said, "But of course! Don’t be fooled by my ordinary looks. I’ve made quite a few friends here. It’s just that you arrived a bit late, Brother Shen. Otherwise, I would have certainly been the first to befriend you."
Shen Bai said with a smile, "Brother Xu, you really are refreshingly direct. Alright, you’ve got yourself a friend."
Xu Qian was taken aback, clearly not expecting Shen Bai to agree so decisively. He was momentarily stunned.
Ouyang Sword, standing to the side, tried to hold back a laugh, but the amusement in his eyes was impossible to hide. He felt that even though Shen Bai was putting on his best act, the words still sounded a little fake.
So fake that even someone like him, who focused solely on Swordsmanship, could see through it.
However, this act was only transparent to Ouyang Sword.
After all, Ouyang Sword was familiar with Shen Bai.
But to Xu Qian, who didn’t know Shen Bai well, it seemed like a genuine agreement.
Just as Xu Qian was about to speak, Shen Bai raised his hand again, interrupting him. "Brother Xu, since we’re friends now, there’s a matter I’d like your help with. That shouldn’t be a problem between friends, right?"
A pleased expression appeared on Xu Qian’s face. He waved his hand magnanimously and said, "Of course, no problem at all."
He made friends far and wide to make his own life more comfortable. While it seemed utilitarian, he also put in a lot of effort.
If you don’t give anything when making friends, what do you have to offer?
Therefore, Xu Qian was quite open-minded about this.
Shen Bai pondered for a moment before saying, "The internal exam starts in half an hour. Brother Xu, could you give me the details on the members participating this time? What are their situations?"
Xu Qian had readily agreed to anything, but after hearing this question, he froze. "You want me to go over... all of them?"
He actually did know, having been here for so long and having had detailed chats with each of them.
Shen Bai nodded. "Of course."
Shen Bai was aware of the mole from Xinhua Academy. However, he didn’t know much about the other members, so Xu Qian’s appearance conveniently solved a major problem for him.
Although Xu Qian couldn’t figure out what Shen Bai was planning, since Shen Bai had put it this way, he could only nod and agree.
So, Xu Qian used the remaining time to give Shen Bai a detailed explanation of the situation with the various Observatory members.
Time trickled away as Xu Qian spoke, and Shen Bai gradually got a clear picture of everyone’s situation.
Since Xu Qian’s friendships were only superficial, his understanding wasn’t very deep.
But once Shen Bai had a general understanding, he had at least a rough outline in his mind.
’If anything happened later, I would be able to analyze it for clues.’
Half an hour passed quickly.
Then, a member wearing an Observatory uniform with a red silk ribbon tied to it stepped forward and spoke.
"Everyone, the time for the internal exam has arrived. Please follow me into the venue."
After he finished speaking, two Observatory members, also with red silk ribbons, stood on either side, each holding a stick of Yellow Incense as thick as a thumb.
Without hesitation, they lit the Yellow Incense.
As the Yellow Incense burned, wisps of smoke rose and drifted, then coalesced in front of them, forming an entryway made of smoke.
Through the entrance, a completely different scene was visible, starkly contrasting with the surroundings.
Shen Bai was slightly curious and asked, "What kind of technique is this?"
Ouyang Sword didn’t know much about it either.
Only Xu Qian seemed quite familiar with it. "This is a special profession called ’Builders.’ They can rapidly construct small pockets of Space. It’s not a combat profession, but it’s useful for support. I imagine this competition Space was constructed by them inside Cyan Spirit Mountain."
"They also determine the method of entry, which is why the entrance is so well-hidden."
The professions in this world were as numerous as the hairs on an ox. After learning this, Shen Bai simply nodded, finding it quite novel.
As the internal exam was a very serious matter, no one delayed.
One by one, the crowd passed through the gate of smoke and entered.
Shen Bai followed behind and soon entered the exam venue.
...
Inside was another world entirely. It was a hollowed-out mountain, within which stood a nine-story tower. Each floor was immense.
