Chapter 149 – An Unexpected Contact

The fluctuation in rankings and the amount of contribution points were undoubtedly the two matters that currently concerned all students of the Demon Hunter Academy the most.

There were quite a few people like Su Ming and his group, whose rankings rose after receiving reward credits, thereby becoming elite students or even top students.

Many had noticed the change in Su Ming’s ranking.

After all, ever since Xu Qianqian and An Zijin gathered around Su Ming one after another, he had become quite famous within the Demon Hunter Academy.

Now that Su Ming had become an elite student in one fell swoop and had such high contribution points, it was actually the minority who hadn’t noticed.

Even so, Su Ming was not the most eye-catching individual.

The most striking person in this ranking release was undoubtedly Xu Qianqian.

“Nearly a million contribution points…!?”

“That’s just too terrifying!”

“How on earth did she manage to earn so many contribution points?”

Some found Xu Qianqian’s high contribution points utterly baffling.

“Ranked first…?”

“So Xu Qianqian has finally become the top student.”

“I originally thought that even for her, becoming the top student of the Hunter Department would have to wait until Li Wei graduated.”

Others expressed admiration for Xu Qianqian’s new ranking.

With nearly a million contribution points and the first rank, these two achievements destined Xu Qianqian to become the most dazzling figure in the entire Academy.

Even Su Ming hadn’t expected that this Young Miss Xu Qianqian, without making a sound, had actually accumulated so many contribution points.

“How did she manage that?”

Su Ming was equally impressed.

He recalled that the performance of Li Wei’s team was considered barely satisfactory in the eyes of the Academy’s higher-ups.

Yet, under such circumstances, Xu Qianqian still managed to earn so many contribution points, which truly surprised Su Ming.

However, after thinking it over carefully, Su Ming felt that it might not be so surprising after all.

“Although the team’s performance in the defense line garrison missions was barely satisfactory, before the Spirit Demon Abyss entrance opened, Li Wei’s team had taken on many high-difficulty missions.”

As the strongest team organized by the Academy, Li Wei’s team wasn’t like Su Ming’s team, which had to frequent the Mission Hall during their initial period to pick up moderately difficult tasks.

They directly undertook missions issued by the Academy—missions of such difficulty that they wouldn’t even be posted in the Mission Hall.

Either A-Rank.

Or S-Rank.

Completing missions of these difficulty levels alone would yield a substantial amount of contribution points.

Moreover, while Li Wei’s team’s performance might have been lackluster, the number of Phantom Demons they subjugated was another matter. Given Xu Qianqian’s personality, she must have hunted many Phantom Demons during her time guarding the defense line, right?

Add to that the contribution points Xu Qianqian earned from hunting Phantom Demons along the way after joining Su Ming’s side during the defense line advance, plus the proper evaluation of her performance, it didn’t seem impossible for Xu Qianqian to end up with such a high number of contribution points.

“I just wonder how that Young Miss is handling the matter of Li Wei and the others, whose fates remain unknown.”

Though this thought crossed his mind, Su Ming didn’t pay much attention to it.His relationship with Li Wei wasn’t particularly close to begin with; in fact, he even felt like that senior had been subtly targeting him. Why should he care about whether such a person lived or died?

Rather than worrying about Li Wei’s affairs, it would be better to think about when Little Hai’er, who had been taken away by Xu Qianqian, would return to his side. That was the truly important matter.

As for the other members of Su Ming’s team, their priorities lay elsewhere.

For instance, how to use their contribution points and what treasures to exchange them for.

This topic was likely something nearly all students were currently discussing with great enthusiasm.

The members of Su Ming’s team were no exception. After finishing breakfast and returning to their rooms, they immediately began discussing this matter.

“I want to exchange for something that can enhance my strength,” Lei Hao was the first to express his opinion.

He had no choice.

Originally, Lei Hao already had the idea of improving his strength.

Now that he had become an elite student, this matter had become even more urgent.

“After all, my current strength is still somewhat insufficient to match the status of an elite student,” Lei Hao scratched his head and said helplessly. “If I don’t want to be challenged and defeated by others, I definitely need to make good use of the contribution points I’ve obtained to exchange for some valuable items that can improve my strength.”

Because the Demon Hunter Academy calculated rankings not solely based on strength but also considered factors like the number, difficulty, and completion status of accepted tasks, performance at the Academy, and academic credits, some students who believed their strength was not inferior to elite or even top students but couldn’t rank high due to other reasons were certainly dissatisfied.

Therefore, it was common for lower-ranked students to challenge higher-ranked ones, including elite and top students.

Although even if a challenge succeeded, the Academy wouldn’t directly swap their rankings, the process and outcome of the challenge would serve as references for the Academy when determining the next period’s rankings. Successful challengers would receive higher evaluations, while defeated students would correspondingly have their evaluations lowered, ultimately affecting their Academy rankings.

If Lei Hao didn’t seriously improve his strength to match that of an elite student, he would inevitably be challenged and treated as a stepping stone for others to improve their rankings.

If he suffered too many defeats and fell from his elite student status, it would be almost certain to happen.

Given this, Lei Hao indeed felt some pressure.

Su Ming patted Lei Hao’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to push yourself too hard,” Su Ming said. “Anyway, with your contribution points, exchanging for some valuable treasures shouldn’t be a problem. Improving your strength shouldn’t be too difficult afterward.”

There were many things that could enhance a Hunter’s strength.

The most direct method was equipping an alchemical weapon.

With an alchemical weapon, dealing with lower-rank Phantom Demons would be like cutting through melons and vegetables. A Hunter at the student level would likely have their weapon broken as soon as they raised it, leaving them with no choice but to admit defeat.

Unfortunately, alchemical weapons were extremely precious. Many Upper-Rank Professionals didn’t even have them equipped. Even if such treasures existed in Longyao City’s reserves, exchanging for one would require an astronomical amount of contribution points.Although Lei Hao’s contribution points were considerable, they were only significant when compared to other students at the Academy. If compared to high-star Professionals in the professional circle, it would undoubtedly be an overestimation of his capabilities.

For someone like Lei Hao, obtaining an alchemical weapon was impossible.

However, aside from alchemical weapons, there were many other Extraordinary Items that could enhance a Hunter’s strength.

For example, the Red Vein Stone that Su Ming had obtained from his package could increase Bloodline concentration, accelerate the process of Bloodline transformation of the body, and even improve the chances of Awakening when consumed in large quantities. Such an Extraordinary Item was undoubtedly a rare treasure in the eyes of Hunters.

But this item originated from the Spirit Demon Abyss and was also a rare treasure for Phantom Demons. In the present world, such treasures were extremely scarce. Even if they existed in Longyao City, they had long been monopolized by major factions and powerful Families, leaving no share for ordinary students.

Apart from the highest-grade treasures that could increase Bloodline concentration, the Extraordinary Items capable of enhancing a Hunter’s strength were primarily alchemical potions.

Alchemical potions that could improve training efficiency.

Alchemical potions that could enhance physical strength and Physique.

Alchemical potions that could accelerate reaction speed.

And so on—all of these could be used to boost a Hunter’s strength.

For items like these, Lei Hao’s contribution points were sufficient to exchange for them.

With the assistance of these Extraordinary Items, Lei Hao was bound to improve and attain strength befitting an elite student.

Regarding this, Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei raised their hands in agreement.

“I also want to use my contribution points to exchange for items that can enhance my strength,” Yao Beibei said.

As the lowest-ranked member of the team and having experienced the recent battle, she had become acutely aware of her shortcomings and was eager to improve her strength.

“Aside from items that boost strength, I also want to exchange for some things to maintain my alchemical weapon,” Jiang Wanyu added with a cheerful laugh, exuding an air of a wealthy individual that evoked a mix of envy and jealousy.

After all, this junior actually possessed an alchemical weapon coveted even by Upper-Rank Professionals.

Wanting items to maintain an alchemical weapon was akin to saying, “My blue bikini needs proper upkeep.”

“What about you, Junior An? What do you plan to exchange for?” Lei Hao asked An Zijin curiously.

“Me?” An Zijin seemed a bit unsure and thought for a moment before replying, “Probably high-sequence Spirit Art Spell Formula books or some useful alchemical tools.”

Preferably a Spirit Art or alchemical tool capable of monitoring a specific target around the clock, 24/7.

An Zijin kept this thought to herself and did not share it with anyone.

“Phew…”

Su Ming, sitting nearby, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, causing him to gasp sharply.

Why did he suddenly feel as if he were being targeted by something terrifying?

Su Ming grew uneasy and suspicious.

“Alright,” Lei Hao, unaware of all this, turned to Ye Bai and asked, “What about you? What do you plan to exchange for—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Lei Hao stopped.

The reason was simple.

“Offensive Spirit Art… Offensive Spirit Art… Offensive Spirit Art…”

Ye Bai sat on the sofa, muttering like someone possessed, his eyes bloodshot.

He looked exactly like a Phantom Demon that had spotted its prey.”……”

Everyone fell silent.

Was there even a need to ask further?

What a pitiful child…

“Brother Su Ming, what are you planning to exchange for?”

At this moment, An Zijin turned to ask Su Ming.

“It depends,” Su Ming replied readily without giving a specific answer. “Whether it’s alchemical weapons or spell formula books for Advanced Spirit Arts, I’m open to either.”

An Zijin immediately lost the desire to speak.

The others couldn’t help but voice their complaints.

“Who wouldn’t accept those things?”

“Isn’t the real question whether we can actually exchange for them?”

“There’s something off about you, Su Ming.Jiang Wanyu, Yao Beibei, and Lei Hao took turns criticizing Su Ming.

What they didn’t realize was that in Su Ming’s eyes, only items of that caliber could truly attract his interest.

Otherwise, he’d rather use all his contribution points to exchange for ordinary materials that could yield large amounts of crystal chips.

At least that way, he could still open packages and maybe get lucky with a gold-tier item someday.

Any treasure that ended up in Su Ming’s hands would become priceless, something no amount of contribution points could ever obtain.

“『Master! That person is calling again』”

Just then, a cellphone ringtone sounded.

“You guys chat, I’m going to take this call.”

Su Ming stood up naturally, pulled out his phone, and walked toward the balcony to answer the call.

Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei suddenly exchanged glances and nodded subtly to each other.

However, Lei Hao, who was nearby, caught this interaction.

“You’re not thinking of eavesdropping, are you?”

Lei Hao looked at them with a strange expression.

“Uh…”

Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei, who were just about to excuse themselves to use the restroom, found their words stuck in their throats.

Then, a pair of large eyes turned toward them.

“You shouldn’t eavesdrop on Brother Su Ming’s phone call, Wanyu, Beibei.”

An Zijin smiled like a blooming flower, exceptionally adorable.

But Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei only felt a shiver in their hearts and quickly nodded in agreement.

“Good.” An Zijin nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and said, “Well then, I’m going to the restroom.”

Having said that, An Zijin decisively headed in the opposite direction of the restroom—toward the balcony.

Lei Hao: “(⊙▽⊙)”

Jiang Wanyu: “o(╯□╰)o”

Yao Beibei: “(°▽°)”

The three in the room were collectively speechless.

“Offensive Spirit Art… Offensive Spirit Art… Offensive Spirit Art…”

Ye Bai was still muttering obsessively.

……

Unaware of what was happening in the living room, Su Ming arrived on the balcony and looked at his phone screen.

An unfamiliar number was displayed.

“Who could this be?”

Puzzled, Su Ming answered the call.

“Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”

Su Ming asked politely for the time being.

Unexpectedly, there was only silence from the other end.

“Hmm?” Su Ming was taken aback, frowned, and asked again, “May I ask who this is?”

If the other party remained silent, Su Ming would decisively hang up, treating it as a prank call.

Unfortunately, that plan was clearly not going to succeed.

From the other end of the phone came a rather deep voice.

“You’re Su Ming, right?”

The voice coming through the phone carried the authoritative presence and dignity of someone in a high position, making it impossible to ignore.

“I am,” Su Ming replied, his frown deepening. “Who are you?”The question was answered from the other side.

“I am Su Yongfeng.”

When this name reached Su Ming’s ears, he froze momentarily before his expression shifted.

There was no other reason—simply because Su Ming had heard this name before.

The other party continued.

“You’ve probably heard my name. If not, let me put it this way.”

Su Yongfeng spoke thus.

“I am Xu Qianqian’s father.”

The second son of the Su Family Head.

A member of Longyao City’s upper echelons.

That prominent figure from the Xu Family who had been mentioned several times.

Had finally appeared.

(End of Chapter)