Chapter 23: The Master

Now it appeared that Chu Yuxi was not only an artist under Silver City Entertainment, but also the princess of the entire Silver City. The whole of Silver City Entertainment belonged to her family.

The news was explosive.

Shen An thought, if word of this got out, wouldn’t the fans in Silver City go mad?

Suppressing his excitement, Shen An continued to listen.

“How did you handle those people outside?” Chu Yuxi asked.

These people had all been brought by Bai Weiwei.

Ever since she had gained her abilities that night, her rank had soared by several levels, allowing her to command far more people than before. Moreover, to show their support, those above had specially provided her with several breathing techniques and martial arts methods under research, and even assigned professionals to help her train.

Now, Bai Weiwei had become somewhat familiar with her powers. Although she hadn’t fully mastered them, her strength had increased vastly.

Previously, Bai Weiwei had only vaguely heard of so-called Awakened ones, but she’d never taken it seriously, thinking it was just a rumor deliberately spread from above. But after that night’s experience, her entire worldview had been upended.

After she returned, because of her new abilities, she gained access to classified information. In this way, Bai Weiwei learned much she’d never even imagined.

All these sudden changes caught her unprepared, but also allowed Bai Weiwei to truly glimpse a part of the world that had always been hidden.

“It’s almost done. The people I sent are all elites, nothing will go wrong,” Bai Weiwei replied, stretching her body with a languid grace that drew every eye. She rolled her slightly stiff neck, walked to the door, and reached for the handle.

“With things settled here, I should get going.”

Just as she finished speaking, a surge of immense force struck. Caught off guard, Bai Weiwei saw the door splinter before her.

A middle-aged man in camouflage uniform crashed heavily to the floor at her feet.

The floor let out a heavy thud.

Bai Weiwei saw that the middle-aged soldier who had come with her had been flung down with brutal force. At this moment, he could not move; though conscious, the agony on his face made Bai Weiwei’s gaze turn icy.

At that instant, as the door shattered, Chu Yuxi suddenly acted.

She charged forward, dust swirling in her wake.

Bang!

In a brief exchange, Chu Yuxi was forced back several steps before regaining her stance, her gaze fixed on the man standing outside.

He was of average build, appearing in his forties, sporting a buzz cut and a small mustache. His eyes swept coldly over Bai Weiwei and Chu Yuxi.

“Where is the spirit fruit?” he asked, a sudden smile curling his lips as he looked at them.

“What are you talking about?” Bai Weiwei feigned ignorance.

“Are you looking for that fruit?” she asked.

“Still playing dumb,” he sneered, unwilling to waste words and striking out directly.

He was fast and powerful.

As he attacked again, Bai Weiwei hurried to meet him and they began to fight.

To be fair, Bai Weiwei was truly formidable now.

Her body seemed as strong as steel.

She no longer feared blades or bullets—in fact, her body was now tougher than any steel known to exist.

She’d conducted tests upon returning; the iron in her arms was unlike any terrestrial metal she’d seen, with a hardness and resilience surpassing steel.

Thus, Bai Weiwei was like a living weapon, as invulnerable as a hero from a martial arts novel.

Who could possibly stand against such a weapon?

Yet, this middle-aged man was her equal.

His martial skills were astonishing, countering Bai Weiwei’s every move as if toying with her.

He absorbed her attacks like cotton, while his blows crashed against Bai Weiwei like relentless waves, their force battering her without pause.

This relentless back-and-forth gradually forced Bai Weiwei, despite her invulnerability, to retreat under the onslaught.

Chu Yuxi wanted to help from the side, but found herself powerless.

In truth, she had not awakened—her strength came entirely from the legacy of an ancient family, and her skills were only superficial.

Chu Yuxi could handle ordinary opponents, but when facing someone with awakened abilities, she could barely manage a few moves.

In her earlier haste, she’d already been beaten back within a few exchanges.

Now it seemed their adversary had no intention of taking their lives, or else she would not still be standing.

“No elemental fluctuation? This person looks formidable. They’ve been fighting for so long without losing ground,” Shen An thought, using his senses to perceive the situation.

He’d paid close attention the moment someone had entered.

But to his surprise, this man bore none of the telltale signs of an Awakened.

It seemed he was not an Awakened, either.

Shen An’s confusion deepened.

Although not Awakened, the man’s strength was extraordinary.

Shen An knew Bai Weiwei’s capabilities—he’d already experienced them firsthand, and was certain she’d grown even stronger since.

But he hadn’t expected that even now, Bai Weiwei was still no match for this man.

At that moment, he sensed Bai Weiwei’s aura suddenly weaken.

“Not good,” Shen An thought, alarmed. No longer hiding, he sprang from the bed.

He saw the middle-aged man suddenly strike with his palm. Bai Weiwei, who had been defending, sensed something different about this attack.

In an instant, it was as if countless waves crashed within her body; a trace of power the man had previously seeded now erupted, causing turmoil inside her. The pain overwhelmed her resistance—her limbs suddenly limp and powerless.

Just then, the middle-aged man, smiling, attacked again.

If this blow landed, there would be dire consequences.

But at the critical moment, a large hand reached from behind, wrapping around Bai Weiwei’s waist. At the same time, the newcomer’s other hand met the man’s palm head-on.

The two palms collided. The middle-aged man grunted in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Taking advantage of the force, Shen An retreated several steps and set Bai Weiwei down on the bed where he’d just been lying.

Outside, chaos reigned. Shen An could sense many Awakened clashing fiercely with another faction.

None were using firearms—it seemed, for now, they were all keeping to some unspoken rules.