CHAPTER 605: CHAPTER 24: RIP-OFF EXTRA ASSESSMENT

A whisper delicate as the sound of a cicada in winter, to the exceptionally keen hearing of the two people under the tree, was like a bolt from the blue.

Ye Heng was about to withdraw his hand when Xu Lan Ya suddenly pushed him away.

Her push came abruptly and urgently, causing the unprepared Ye Heng to stumble. He looked at Xu Lan Ya in astonishment.

The scene between the two, if witnessed by others and then reported to Wang Shuai, would undoubtedly be fatal for Xu Lan Ya. Even if she didn’t tell Wang Shuai, Xu Lan Ya didn’t want others to know there was something going on between her and the unimpressive-looking Ye Heng.

Xu Lan Ya had learned her lesson from the previous incident with Xu Bohao and would no longer dare to take such risks.

Only half of what she and Ye Heng said was true. As for becoming an Advanced Student, she was determined to achieve it. As for the 100,000 Heaven-defying Value from the greening project in Area C, it was just preparation for her next step. Tempting Ye Heng to become her admirer was also to have an additional helper in the future. Bringing Ye Heng to the Spiritual Fruit Garden was calculated because there were few people there, and they could talk and work without disturbance.

Seeing Ye Heng standing there, still stunned with a bit of embarrassment in his eyes, Xu Lan Ya tucked her hair and revealed a dazzling smile, "Brother Ye, there seems to be someone up there, could you go take a look?"

Ye Heng’s eyes narrowed slightly, with a hint of bitterness in his heart. He diligently cultivated, but that didn’t mean he had the brain of a wooden fish. Matters of the heart, some avoid it like poison, others savor it like sweet candy; it was mutual consent, he had no grievances against Xu Lan Ya.

Walking under the longan tree, Ye Heng saw a basket filled with longans on the ground. Was someone really up in the tree?

Zhang Yiyi, hiding at the very top, held her breath, but her limbs couldn’t stop trembling. She knew the two people below: a vicious woman who dared to kill even her own cousin, and a foolish Advanced Student who followed Xu Lan Ya’s commands.

Their relationship seemed not to be public, and she had overheard their conversation. If they discovered her now, she would be in trouble.

"Stay calm," Zhang Yiyi covered her mouth and nose with one hand, and with the other, she pressed down her trembling legs and feet.

"Pretend you’re in the desert, and those below are just two lizards mating," the longan leaves brushed against her face as if they were desert sands.

Perhaps out of fear, Zhang Yiyi’s heartbeat slowed down, and the trembling in her hands and feet quieted down.

Zhang Yiyi closed her eyes, and her body began to change, her breathing and pulse almost stopped.

Her skin turned from yellow to a deep brown color close to the bark, her hair also started to turn a leaf-like green, and even the smooth skin began to show a rough texture like tree bark.

Her tall figure was hidden among the trees, and the longan tree seemed to have grown an extra branch.

Ye Heng didn’t climb the tree. He just looked around underneath, and after peering around for a moment without spotting anyone, he said to Xu Lan Ya, "Don’t be paranoid. I’m tired. I’ll call it a day and head back." Saying so, he left with his head down, leaving Xu Lan Ya behind.

Xu Lan Ya stamped her foot and didn’t follow. What did Ye Heng count for? She disdained to accommodate such people. She walked to the longan tree, looked up for a while, amidst the dense leaves and tall trunks – if anyone was hiding, they would be immediately noticeable. Xu Lan Ya flicked her hand, and a fragrance like that of flowers wafted up through the trees.

Still no movement, Xu Lan Ya snorted coldly, kicked away the basket of longans she had picked, and then left the Spiritual Fruit Garden.

Not until the Spiritual Fruit Garden returned to its harmonious state of insects chirping and birds singing did Zhang Yiyi stretch her legs and sit cross-legged on the tree. After looking at her hands, Zhang Yiyi almost fell from the tree.

More speechless than the squashed longans under the tree was her current appearance. "It’s over, how did I end up looking like a ghost. Ugh, how can I face people now? Better hide in the tree until it gets dark and then go back, lest people mistake me for a demon and dispose of me," Zhang Yiyi leaned against the tree. Frightened, she was mentally and physically exhausted. Once she leaned on the tree, she fell asleep.

While Zhang Yi was in danger, Xiao Xian was completing the last step of the special technique course of Stage C.

According to the course progression, by harvesting the Spiritual Energy of hundreds of plants in Wanlin Hills, one would be eligible to apply for the Intermediate Stage advancement exam. In the past months, Xiao Xian had already completed harvesting the Spiritual Energy of more than ninety plants. However, to solidify her Spiritual Control abilities, she was not rushing to complete the course.