The First Academy.

The dean looked silently toward the window.

Graduation season… had started.

"They have already gone there," the a.s.sistant said in a low voice.

"Alright."

The dean looked into the distance. "Do you think this is too early for them?"

"No."

The a.s.sistant said respectfully, "They are six-stars now."

"True."

The dean seemed to be in a trance.

Six-star!

Although they were young, they were already six-stars! They should already have been famous big shots in society! But now, they still had the mentality of students!

This would never do!

Ultimately, they had to grow up.

"Hopefully they can graduate successfully."

The dean had a profound gaze.

"Certainly,"the a.s.sistant replied respectfully.

He was indeed the dean. He cared a lot about the students.

However…

Instinctively….

He stole a glance toward the direction where the dean was looking. A group of pure and lovely freshman girls were cultivating in the field, the hemlines of their skirts lifted by the wind.

Cough.

The dean was young at heart…

…

Somewhere.

In the mountain range…

Lu Ming watched as Old Jiang skilfully put the old man back into the coffin, covering the grave. He finally knew what kind of life Old Jiang had been leading all these years!

He was in awe!

"One must collect the powerful tools left by defeated enemies!

"It will be better if there are books on different abilities…

"Otherwise, how do you think I became stronger all these years?"

Jiang Feng was acting awfully mysterious.

Lu Ming was speechless.

He seemed to have understood something now.

Given the way Old Jiang was being hunted down and he still had to bring Xiaobai with him, if he did not entertain himself and cheer himself up, how was he supposed to survive all these years?

It had not been easy for Old Jiang!

However, from Old Jiang's skillful mannerisms…

"Do we have to search the male and female bodies?"

Lu Ming could not help but ask.

"Of course."

Jiang Feng cast him an odd glance. "We have to search for powerful tools regardless of gender, human or beast."

Lu Ming was silent.

He was reminded of the miserable scene just now where the old man was being stripped of his clothes. Old Jiang was indeed a ruthless man.

"How's Xiaobai?" Jiang Feng asked.

"Good."

Lu Ming nodded and updated him on what Xiaobai was doing at Tian Du City.

"Hey, I knew that Xiaobai takes after me."

Jiang Feng broke into a smile.

Lu Ming was speechless.

Old Jiang was getting more and more shameless.

To be honest, if Old Jiang did not bring Xiaobai with him all the time, he would have suspected that Xiaobai was not his biological daughter… This was not only because Xiaobai had amazing talents…

"Was Xiaobai's mother very beautiful?" Lu Ming asked randomly.

"Of course."

Jiang Feng was proud of it. He looked at Lu Ming with a strange expression. "How did you know about that?"

"Hehe."

Lu Ming smiled but said nothing.

Old Jiang thought about the question again and became sullen!

d.a.m.n!

He had said that Xiaobai took after him!

What was wrong with his looks!?

Although he was not as handsome as he was, he was better looking than average! Back then, Xiaobai's mother agreed to be with him because of his looks!

Furthermore…

This was because he was a man!

He had predicted long ago that if his daughter took after him, she would definitely be a beauty! His genes would turn out to be even more outstanding on females!

He was certain that Xiaobai took after him!

It was true!

If he did not believe it, he would dress up as a woman to prove it to him!

Sigh.

He could not be bothered to take issue with a kid like Lu Ming. He sneered and thought of something else. "How did you manage to find me?"

Lu Ming remembered Xiaobai's words.

Hence…

He paused briefly before saying, "The Sword Card Master a.s.sociation has been recruiting new disciples recently. One of them is good at deduction and looking for people. He searched high and low and eventually found you."

"Oh?"

Old Jiang was awestruck. He had no idea that there was such a mysterious ability!

Alright.

Since it was a secret, he would not probe.

Shus.h.!.+

Shus.h.!.+

He tidied the surroundings. They looked exactly how they were before they arrived. He even took special care of the young disciple who was unconscious.

"Come. Hold him for me.

"Hold him properly."

Jiang Feng pulled out a small cylinder, directed it at the young man and injected it into him.

Pfft!

There was a crisp and clear sound.

Cheez—

The young man tumbled to the ground weakly.

"What did you inject into him?"

Lu Ming was surprised.

"Trandar fluid."

Jiang Feng's expression was calm. "He will forget everything that happened in the last twenty four hours."

There was a white fruit named Nepenthe that grew on the Trandar mountain range. The fruit produced a fluid that affected the brain and resulted in memory loss.

After blending it, it became the Trandar fluid.

Lu Ming lamented listlessly.

Wasn't it better to name it 'Nepenthe fluid'?

Shus.h.!.+

Jiang Feng found the guard house nearby.

He skillfully put the young man on the bed, took off his coat and gently covered him with a blanket. He seemed to be very skilled in that domain.

Lu Ming was speechless.

He was full of doubt at Old Jiang's skilled gestures.

From placing him properly to administering the injection, and from putting him onto the bed to undressing him, he was able to do everything in one go…

To h.e.l.l with it.

What the h.e.l.l has Old Jiang been doing all this time?!

Moreover, there was the Trandar fluid that made one forget everything within the last twenty four hours… d.a.m.n, perhaps it was Old Jiang who posted the content on the p.o.r.nography website?

"What expression is that on your face?!"

Jiang Feng looked at Lu Ming.

"Oh nothing."

Lu Ming coughed. "I used to have a friend, Mr Qin[1] who was used to doing the same business as you, but he was arrested."

"Oh?"

Jiang Feng was curious. "Is he used to cleaning up the scene as well?"

"Yes."

Lu Ming smiled wryly.

"That means he's not a professional."

Jiang Feng was proud of himself. "I am very professional in this."

"I can tell."

Lu Ming nodded approvingly, pausing briefly before saying, "I thought you would silence him."

"That is unnecessary."

Jiang Feng shook his head. "Although he is a disciple of the Ji family, he is only in charge of logistics and has nothing to do with this matter. Besides, if I kill him, it will only invite more trouble!"

When the young man woke up the next day, he would not remember anything that had happened and all would be well. If he died here, the Ji family would investigate and there would be trouble.

"Understood."

Lu Ming acknowledged his words.

"Let's go."

Jiang Feng left the mountain range with Lu Ming.

After a long while…

They arrived at the foot of the mountain.

"You should go back."

Jiang Feng sighed, giving his instructions. "Tell Xiaobai that I am alright. There is no need to worry for me. In the future, there is no need to come all the way here for me."

Lu Ming was speechless.

"What's the matter?"

Jiang Feng cast him an odd glance, pondering briefly before saying, "Did you have a reason to come looking for me?"

"Yes."

Lu Ming's eyes darted from one place to another.

"Therefore, Xiaobai didn't tell you to look for me?"

Jiang Feng felt somewhat sad.

Cough.

Lu Ming coughed. "Well, that's not true. That is part of the reason why I am here. In fact, when Xiaobai asked me to look for you, I happened to have some matters to discuss with you."

What a pack of lies!

Jiang Feng turned teary-eyed.

Therefore, Xiaobai did not miss him at all?!

She was his biological daughter…

After a long while…

Jiang Feng finally calmed down.

He was used to it.

"Alright, what are you here for then?"

Jiang Feng sounded listless.

"It is regarding the World of Darkness and Shadows."

Lu Ming looked serious.

Shus.h.!.+

Jiang Feng widened his eyes. "How do you know about this?!"

The World of Darkness and Shadows!

This was not a place that Lu Ming should know about!

That place…

Jiang Feng could feel his heart thumping loudly at the thought of it.

Lu Ming has been idling around in Qing Ming City. How did he find out about this?! He should not know about that place!

Oh…

Right.

He must have heard about the World of Darkness and Shadows from rumors…

Jiang Feng had heard about it as well. The World of Darkness and Shadows was the source of evil transactions. It was a virtual world that did not exist.

However…

He was very sure.

The actual World of Darkness and Shadows was more than that!

"Have you heard of the rumors?" Jiang Feng asked.

"My elder sister is there."

Lu Ming's voice was low.

"Lu Yan?"

Jiang Feng paused briefly. "It is normal for Lu Yan to go there… No, Lu Yan is at most a six-star. What is she doing at the World of Darkness and Shadows?!"

"She is not the only one."

Lu Ming enunciated every word. "The graduating a.s.sessment of The First Academy will be held in the World of Darkness and Shadows!"

"Impossible!"

Jiang Feng blurted.

He must be kidding?!

The World of Darkness and Shadows?

Graduating a.s.sessment?

He must be kidding!

However…

Judging from Lu Ming's expression, he did not seem to be kidding and he came all this way for him. Jiang Feng grew solemn. "Tell me all the details."

"Okay."

Lu Ming told him about the situation at The First Academy.

"The Millennium anniversary…

"Graduation season…"

Jiang Feng's expression was grave.

He vaguely understood The First Academy's intention. However, they seemed to be too impatient?! So what if the graduates were six-stars!

Or perhaps…

Something must have happened for The First Academy to become more and more impatient.

However…

He believed that since The First Academy made this move, they must be prepared.

"Don't worry."

He consoled Lu Ming. "Your sister will be fine. Qiu Shuyi will be around. There is nothing to worry about. The so-called World of Darkness and Shadows is merely slightly more dangerous than the general legacy sites. There will be more enemies and a higher mortality rate. There is still a chance of coming back."

Lu Ming's face turned darker and darker. He was not helping at all!

d.a.m.n it!

"What exactly is the World of Darkness and Shadows?"

Lu Ming asked in a low voice.

"How much do you know about it?"

Jiang Feng asked him instead.

"The World of Darkness and Shadows is a place that provides services to the darkness."

Lu Ming looked serious. "People hide their ident.i.ties and partic.i.p.ate in all kinds of taboo transactions, from human lives, drugs, organs, information to all the sins of the world. Everything is a commodity with a clear price tag."

"You're right."

Jiang Feng agreed.

Lu Ming's face suddenly dimmed.

He wondered if Old Jiang knew anything about it or not.

"I have not been there."

Jiang Feng sighed. "What we know is about the same."

"Is all that you said true?"

Lu Ming squinted. "Including… the fact that the people in the World of Darkness and Shadows exist in the form of shadows?"

Shus.h.!.+

Jiang Feng's expression changed drastically.

He looked at Lu Ming and became serious. "You actually know about it!"

"Hehe."

Lu Ming sneered.

Apart from knowing all the details, he had been there as well!

He remembered the dark and fuzzy world clearly. There were no physical bodies. Everyone existed in the form of a shadow. They talked to each other using dialog boxes!

This was like an ancient game!

That place…

It was full of unknown and strange elements!

"Alright."

Jiang Feng sighed.

Since Lu Ming knew about it, it was pointless to hide it from him. He told Lu Ming about the origins of the World of Darkness and Shadows.

Initially…

The World of Shadows was very simple.

There was no data connection at that time.

People from different regions could not interact with each other.

Therefore…

Big shots who were too lazy to leave their houses came up with an impressive method to interact with each other. It was through shadows!

Hence…

Abilities that enabled the shadows to be separated from their bodies were created.

Over time, they found that there were certain limitations when the shadows separated from their body. They would gradually disappear with distance and the loss of energy.

Hence…

The big shots worked together to create a world where shadows could exist on their own—The World of Shadows!

Over there, the shadows could exist on their own.

Over there, the shadows had consciousness.

In that time, one's body could stay at home to cultivate while one's shadow went outside to interact with other shadows!

People traded through the World of Shadows, acquiring abilities.

People communicated and connected with each other through the World of Shadows.

Some people became stronger as a result.

Some people tied the knot as a result.

This was the foundation of the World of Shadows.

Lu Ming's expression froze.

He could not find the right word to describe his inner feelings.

Therefore, the start of the World of Shadows was simply a software for people to hook up for one night stands… d.a.m.n, it was merely a social platform that was similar to a forum…

It was the 'Internet social platform' and 'Jiayuan.com'[2] of that time.

Look.

Such a pure heart!

They simply wanted to make friends and to hook up for one night stands!

Later…

How did it evolve to what it is now?

Lu Ming suppressed his curiosity and listened to Jiang Feng.

Energy was needed to maintain the World of Shadows.

Initially, it was a small world built by a few big shots. However, as more and more people joined the World of Shadows, they needed more and more energy to the point that it reached an astounding amount…

Hence…

The big shots revised the rules and were paid commissions for the transactions, eventually…

"They are done for?"

Lu Ming could not help but say.

He remembered that QQ[3] used to require members to pay a fee, but it almost did itself in and hence the decision was reversed and it became free…

Social applications that charged a fee would limit their number of users, eventually losing many of them. He was surprised that the World of Shadows used to be the same as well!

"It's not true."

Jiang Feng cast Lu Ming an odd look and continued.

Later…

Due to the commissions earned for the transactions as well as the immense amount of energy provided by the large number of users, the energy in the World of Shadows managed to break even, and they even made progress.

In the end…

The World of Shadows kept expanding.

They even became isolated from the real world to from a unique world with its own rules!

The real World of Shadows was born!

In that era…

The World of Shadows was a very significant organization!

Lu Ming was speechless.

This was completely different from what he imagined!

He thought that after requiring that users pay a commission, the World of Shadows would be done for. But on second thought, it was not really considered as charging fees. After all, one could still arrange a date for free.

"Since it was developing well, why did it go downhill?"

"It's very simple."

Jiang Feng sounded forlorn. "Just when the World of Shadows was about to go through a rapid development, something terrible happened…

"It destroyed the foundation of the World of Shadows at a catastrophic rate.

"The dynasty of the World of Shadows was about to be realized. However, in a year it collapsed totally and was on the verge of destruction!"

Jiang Feng's expression was grave.

"What happened?"

Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat.

"What was so destructive that the World of Shadows was destroyed by it?

"It was…"

Jiang Feng looked into the distance, a forlorn and sorrowful look in his eyes as he took his time to answer him. "What destroyed The World of Shadows was…

"The Internet!"

[1] Mr Qin refers to men who trick women into having s.e.x with them and secretly taking videos of them, uploading them to p.o.r.nographic websites, and earning money through charging a fee for those who watched them.

[2] Jiayuan.com is the largest Internet dating website in China.

[3] Tencent QQ, also known as QQ, is an instant messaging software service and web portal developed by the Chinese tech giant Tencent.