Huang Xiu looked at Ye Ya, who gave her a slightly amused glance.
“How could something like a storage ring possibly exist?” Ye Ya scoffed.
“What about a simplified version, then?” Huang Xiu blinked, choosing to compromise.
If a storage ring was out of the question, perhaps a storage pouch would do.
“Let me explain more clearly,” Ye Ya said. “Storage-type Void Artifacts do exist, but they are almost all strategic-grade. They are rarely sold externally and generally aren’t suitable for individual use.”
‘Strategic? How are storage-type Void Artifacts connected to strategy?’ Huang Xiu didn’t quite understand the reasoning.
Yet, she grasped the underlying meaning. ‘Rarely sold externally’ implied they *could* be sold, and ‘generally not suitable’ meant there might be exceptions.
“So, could they be custom-made or modified for personal use?” Huang Xiu proposed another idea.
The term ‘custom-made Void Artifacts,’ rather than ‘purchased Void Artifacts,’ was used because Tiangong Group, as their manufacturer, could perform minor modifications.
This allowed the Void Artifacts to better suit their users.
For instance, Yun Ning’s Transcendent Knuckles were specifically modified to his specifications, reducing direct force while enhancing penetrating power.
“Huang, you’re truly persistent!” Ye Ya’s face was alight with a smile.
However, a hint of helplessness finally crossed Ye Ya’s face as she continued, “Storage-type Void Artifacts are, at most, Level Two. I don’t have the authority to decide on those.”
This classification system was Tiangong Group’s internal division of Void Artifacts, generally based on factors like strategic value and side effects. Level Zero was the highest, and Level Five was the lowest.
Currently, they stood in the exhibition hall for Level Four Void Artifacts.
Level Four Void Artifacts were those available for public sale, typically possessing ordinary strategic value.
After hearing Ye Ya’s explanation, Huang Xiu felt a little speechless.
It turned out that all the Void Artifacts she had seen so far were just ordinary goods.
‘Old man, your influence isn’t strong enough!’ she sighed inwardly.
Movement-type Void Artifacts had too many side effects, and storage-type Void Artifacts weren’t available for purchase. That left defensive or offensive types.
Huang Xiu pondered this, preparing to abandon her original plan and ask Ye Ya to show her some defensive Void Artifacts, committed to her ‘turtle shell’ strategy.
Just then, Ye Ya suddenly seemed to remember something.
She abruptly said, “Wait, I just thought of a Void Artifact that might suit your requirements.”
“Hm?” Huang Xiu hummed in confusion, her nose wrinkling slightly.
“Please wait, I’ll go retrieve it.” Ye Ya turned and walked towards the front-left corner of the exhibition hall.
Huang Xiu’s knees still ached, and she feared another accidental fall.
So, she simply remained where she was, leaning against a glass display case as she waited for Ye Ya to return with the Void Artifact.
“Here, Huang, take a look.” Ye Ya approached, carrying a wide belt in her hand.
The belt was broad and masculine, appearing to be made of genuine leather, painted black.
Numerous multi-functional pouches hung from it.
It looked less like a belt and more like a series of fanny packs sewn together.
“What is this?” Huang Xiu took the belt, weighing it in her hand. Despite being leather, it was surprisingly heavy.
“This is a multi-functional jet belt. It can unleash powerful gusts of wind, propelling the user ten meters forward or backward. It can be used a maximum of five consecutive times before needing ten hours to recharge.”
Ye Ya described the belt’s functions.
“While the displacement distance and uses are limited, it certainly meets your movement requirements. Additionally, it has pouches for you to store small items.”
“That sounds pretty good.” Huang Xiu lifted her shirt, and with Ye Ya’s help, fastened the belt around her waist.
The space was too confined for her to test the jets, so she merely examined the pouches.
Though these pouches weren’t large, plant seeds were also small. If she filled them all, she could store a considerable amount.
Ye Ya had been observing Huang Xiu’s expression, and seeing her appear quite satisfied, she promptly asked:
“How does it feel? Should we go with this one?”
Huang Xiu was indeed tempted.
The short burst distance wasn’t a significant issue for her.
All she needed was a brief escape from danger.
However, compared to the previous Void Artifacts, this belt’s functionality was, frankly, considerably weaker.
If she chose this one, she couldn’t shake the feeling of getting a raw deal.
Moreover, Ye Ya hadn’t even thought of this Void Artifact initially, which made Huang Xiu suspect that very few people chose it.
“Not many people choose this Void Artifact, do they, Department Head Ye?” Huang Xiu feigned an expression of seeing through everything.
“And so?” Ye Ya narrowed her eyes.
“Uh… well…”
This was Huang Xiu’s first attempt at haggling, and the words she had prepared felt awkward and difficult to voice.
“Do you feel like you’re losing out, Huang?” Ye Ya smiled, directly exposing Huang Xiu’s thoughts.
The latter unconsciously nodded.
“There’s no such thing as ‘losing out’ when choosing a Void Artifact. The best one is always the one that suits you best,” Ye Ya continued.
“While this Void Artifact’s effects aren’t as powerful as others, it has virtually no side effects, only a longer recharge time.”
Huang Xiu genuinely disliked Void Artifacts with severe side effects.
Those side effects were unstable bombs waiting to detonate.
Her innate ability was already comprehensive enough, and with her Void Art lineage, she had few vulnerabilities.
The Void Artifact served merely as a final defensive trump card.
With this thought, Huang Xiu finally nodded, agreeing to the choice.
“Do you have any customization requests? If we start now, you should be able to receive it by mid-August.” Ye Ya immediately asked.
Huang Xiu conveyed her desired modifications to Ye Ya.
There were two main points:
The pouches needed to be larger but without hindering movement.
The strength of the wind jet function should be maximized, even if it meant a slight side effect.
“Alright, I’ve recorded everything. I’ll relay this feedback to the engineers in the Void Artifact Design Department.” Ye Ya put down her phone.
“Can I leave now?” Huang Xiu was already eager to return to her dorm.
Being alone outside was boring and lonely, causing a general sense of discomfort.
She had lost all desire to even shop.
“Of course.”
Ye Ya smiled. “Huang, finally, on behalf of Tiangong Group, I wish you a stunning performance in the Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Mm.”
If Huang Xiu made a splash, they would also acquire the materials they needed. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“Don’t worry,” Huang Xiu said with considerable confidence.
With her and Yun Ning’s combined strength, they could likely sweep through the competition.
“Oh, right, Huang, after your military training in mid-August, you’ll have a short summer break, won’t you? Will you be free then?” Ye Ya suddenly asked.
“I should be, why?” Huang Xiu replied, curious.
In truth, these two months weren’t a formal semester; it was merely a summer training program arranged by the school.
The official start of the semester would be in September, after the short summer break.
In previous years, new students would have a fifteen-day short summer break after military training concluded in mid-August.
Their academic terms thereafter would align with regular universities.
The only difference was that their main summer vacation was only a month and a half long.
“While I’m confident in your abilities, Huang, teamwork is also crucial. Since you’ll be leading the team, Tiangong Group will also provide two members from our side,” Ye Ya explained.
“Therefore, we’d like you to form a small team and get acquainted before the Martial Arts Tournament begins. Tiangong Group will cover all your accommodation, meals, and training expenses!”
“Deal!” Huang Xiu agreed without hesitation.
Such a good opportunity—being paid to attend training, and with such benefits…
It would be an injustice if she didn’t participate!
Tiangong Group’s internal affairs were nothing to scoff at; their benefits were certainly up to par. As for the journey there and back…
*Creak!*
With the sound of tires rubbing, Huang Xiu pushed open the car door and stepped out, once again arriving at Tiandu University’s downtown office.
The courtyard was empty at this time, devoid of cars and people.
It was only five o’clock, still an hour before the last shuttle bus back to campus departed.
She had arrived a bit early.
After playing on her phone in the office’s waiting area for a while, she finally saw the evening shuttle bus pull into the courtyard.
Huang Xiu boarded it.
After waiting a bit, students sporadically boarded the bus along the way, but there weren’t many; half the carriage remained empty.
Students like her, who traveled to and from the city on the same day, were a minority.
Most people who went downtown for the weekend chose to stay for one or two nights to fully enjoy themselves.
Huang Xiu had originally planned to do the same, but she simply couldn’t find anyone to go with her.
She sat in the very last row, as usual.
She was about to put on her headphones…
But her keen senses suddenly detected that someone was secretly watching her.
And it wasn’t just one or two people.
‘What’s going on?’ Huang Xiu looked up, just in time to see several boys hastily turn their heads away.
Clearly, they had just been scrutinizing her.
Seeing this, she lowered her head again, too lazy to ask why.
Ever since her transformation, the chances of her being secretly stared at had multiplied countless times.
As a man herself, she understood these individuals perfectly.
They had simply seen an attractive girl on the bus and couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.
After all, she and her friends used to do the same when they saw pretty girls.
She rode the bus all the way back to school.
Huang Xiu got off, walked through the school gate, and stepped onto campus, immediately feeling a sense of relief.
She eagerly wanted to grab a meal at the cafeteria and then return to her dorm.
However, mindful of her previous experience with falling on flat ground, she dared not walk fast, fearing another tumble.
Despite being a university for Awakened individuals in secret, Tiandu University still had too many peculiar aspects.
For example, there were no textbooks.
Also, despite the campus being so vast, there was no map, forcing people to rely solely on roadside signs to find buildings.
Huang Xiu and her peers had complained about this constantly when they first arrived.
But after two weeks, they gradually adapted to this wayfinding method.
They slowly memorized the locations of some buildings, creating their own mental maps.
Huang Xiu was no exception.
She had already memorized the locations of the Imperial City Tower, Tiandu Hall, the cafeteria, and her dorm—her four most frequented spots.
She could navigate back even without looking at the signs.
So, Huang Xiu only occasionally glanced at the guideposts or surrounding buildings along the way to ensure she wasn’t straying from her path.
The rest of the time, she was engrossed in her phone.
[Cafeteria, turn left at the intersection ahead]
A blue arrow-shaped guidepost was embedded in the green belt.
Huang Xiu lifted her head and glanced at it.
But upon reaching the intersection, for some unknown reason, despite knowing she should turn left, she inexplicably turned right into another small path.
Huang Xiu herself didn’t even notice any of this.
It wasn’t until she had walked for nearly half an hour without reaching the cafeteria that she belatedly realized her mistake.
‘Did I take a wrong turn?’
Her gaze drifted from her phone, the surrounding scenery somewhat unfamiliar, and Huang Xiu froze.
‘How is this possible… I clearly followed the signs!’
Unable to recall which intersection she had gone wrong at, Huang Xiu finally experienced the full impact of the Void Artifact’s side effect.
This was a power akin to a rule.
Even though she wasn’t directionally challenged, she was forced to acquire a touch of that trait.
This time, she dared not play on her phone, carefully following the signs, and finally reached the cafeteria.
However, on her way back to the dorm after eating, she got lost again because she was replying to a roommate’s message.
Fortunately, Huang Xiu realized in time, otherwise she would have kept turning and ended up leaving school instead of reaching her dorm.
“This side effect is terrifying!”
In her dorm, Huang Xiu sat on her bed, patting her chest lightly, still shaken.
Using that thing once made her directionally challenged for a week.
If it happened on campus, she’d eventually find her way.
But if it were in an unfamiliar place, she’d truly be lost, with no one to call out to!
And most importantly, she had only used the Small Displacement Card once.
What if she used it twice, three, or even four times consecutively?
Huang Xiu felt she might truly become the first person to get lost on campus!
“In anime, getting lost is a cute trait, a personality quirk, but in reality, it’s incredibly inconvenient!”
Huang Xiu had no desire to become a female Zoro, constantly lost or on the verge of getting lost.
Weekend time was always leisurely and somewhat boring.
Sleeping in until nearly noon, then playing on her phone for a while, and squeezing in some Hammer Forging cultivation.
Before she knew it, the day was almost over.
Apart from going out to the cafeteria for meals, Huang Xiu had completely transformed into a homebody, playing games in her room without stepping out.
Jia Qianrou was also often in the dorm, occasionally coming to chat with her, seemingly feeling that Huang Xiu staying in the dorm all the time wasn’t good.
As for Zhiyu, she genuinely seemed busy, rarely seen, though Huang Xiu didn’t know what she was preoccupied with.
Even when Huang Xiu asked, Zhiyu wouldn’t say.
Her roommate and good friend kept secrets from her.
This inevitably made Huang Xiu grumble, feeling a vague sense of betrayal.
It was an unpleasant feeling, like a cat scratching at her heart.
Yet, she also understood that even the best of friends wouldn’t tell each other absolutely everything.
Everyone had secrets, endless and untold, differing only in their significance.
For example, Huang Xiu had yet to tell Ying Zhiyu and Jia Qianrou about her transformation.
The joyful weekend passed in a flash, and despite her reluctance, Huang Xiu welcomed the dreaded Monday once more.
This was her fourth week at Tiandu University, June 10th.
Only a little over a month remained until the military training scheduled for mid-July.
The teachers no longer emphasized the urgency of time, but the students still kept it firmly in mind.
Each of them felt a heightened sense of urgency.