Chapter Seven: Hulk of the Fiery Fist

Xiao Bai stared at Laura in astonishment, her shock evident even through the bandages. She exclaimed, “You…”

Laura drew back, smiling gently at Xiao Bai, her voice soft and reassuring:

“Don’t worry, I can only vaguely sense it because of my talent, not confirm it with certainty. You’re so easy to fool—just a little bluff and you admitted it. You should learn to control your emotions better in the future.”

Xiao Bai seemed completely unprepared for Laura’s recognition of her gender, and for a moment, she was flustered.

Laura grinned mischievously, asking, “Come on, tell me—what does it feel like? Someone so mysterious, handsome, and gifted—I’d love to see if I could reel him in myself.”

Now Xiao Bai forced herself to calm down, striving to regain her earlier indifferent tone. She replied, “He doesn’t know I’m a girl. I only see him as a friend.”

Laura simply found Xiao Bai’s reactions amusing and wanted to tease her for a bit. Watching her return to her usual calm demeanor, Laura didn’t press further.

“That’s right—when dealing with someone like him, unless you’re confident there’ll never be a rift between you, it’s best to remain friends. Losing a friend like that would be a real pity.

Only those who have experienced the cruelty of the wizarding world know how important and fortunate it is to have an alchemist and a diviner as close friends. Don’t let those damned hormones make you act on impulse and regret it for the rest of your life.”

Laura seemed to recall something, her expression sobering for a moment before she smiled again. “If you really want to taste love, go find one of those pretty boys in the capital. It’s all just for fun with them—no one really loses anything.”

It was the first time Xiao Bai had heard such words, especially from the usually gentle Laura, and she was momentarily at a loss, choosing silence.

Laura glanced at Qi Xiao’s back as he set up the trap, a glimmer flickering in her eyes.

Wizards lived far too long—even partners with perfectly matched spirits might not remain unchanged over centuries, let alone those hastily formed under the influence of hormones.

Love? Far less stable and reliable than friendship. After all, one can only have one lover, but many friends.

As long as she could better understand his preferences and avoid his dislikes, given his current temperament, so long as she provided enough materials and magic crystals, he would never refuse her alchemical requests. That was enough.

Smiling as she withdrew her gaze, Laura thought that even if she were eliminated now, she had already profited greatly from this recruitment tournament—no regrets remained.

Qi Xiao and Feng, after confirming that the trap was set properly, returned to the vehicle.

Soon it was noon. In the height of June, the sun scorched the ground, even the wind was searing.

Feng tugged at his collar, sticking out his tongue as he poked Qi Xiao with an arrow feather.

Seeing Qi Xiao glance at him in confusion, Feng put on a sycophantic grin and said, “Master Qi Xiao, it’s so hot here—be careful not to get heatstroke.”

Qi Xiao understood his meaning. He could indeed inscribe runes related to refrigeration and cooling, but obviously wouldn’t use them for such trivial matters. He replied,

“Bear with it. It’ll be over by midnight. Each rune takes a lot of time to master—I haven’t learned temperature-related runes yet.

Rather than asking me, why not see if Laura can gather some water or ice elements?”

Feng found the suggestion reasonable and immediately gave Laura a pitiful look. Laura, unable to resist, waved her hand and said, “I’ll do my best.”

She chanted a few spells for constructing auxiliary magical models, successfully gathering water elements around them. Feng then summoned a gentle breeze, and the air was indeed much cooler.

Feng felt revived, heaved a sigh of relief, and said, “I can’t stand the heat. I always feel dehydrated when the temperature rises, it’s been like this since childhood.”

Xiao Bai lifted her head, her voice still hoarse: “Once you become a wizard, you won’t be afraid anymore.”

Feng smiled in agreement, beginning to look forward to his future mentor.

Qi Xiao glanced at Feng, who was now enjoying the cool breeze with his eyes closed. He suspected Feng would be disappointed—becoming a wizard apprentice, or even a full wizard, wouldn’t rid him of his aversion to heat. But magic could solve it, so it wasn’t a real problem.

After all, half of his blood belonged to sea folk, though Feng himself seemed unaware at present.

Qi Xiao hesitated, but decided not to tell him—not only would it be difficult to explain how he knew, but it was best not to alter their original path of growth.

If, because of his butterfly effect, Feng never became a true wizard, Qi Xiao would be to blame. After several days together, Qi Xiao had come to accept him as a friend.

A small group of contestants approached nervously, tossing a stone to trigger an explosion that left them covered in dust. After cautious probing, they eventually retreated.

The blazing sun sank, the silver moon hung high.

Qi Xiao grew curious about the mechanism of day and night here; from what he’d gleaned from films, this world seemed comprised of separate planes, not planets.

But such matters were far beyond him now—he simply harbored a lingering curiosity, hoping his future self would discover the answer.

As the temperature plummeted, Feng, who had been sprawled like a dead dog, visibly revived, jumping out to gather firewood and prepare a good meal before departure.

Laura watched his lively figure with helpless amusement, then turned to Qi Xiao and Xiao Bai, saying,

“Let’s not sleep tonight. When the event ends at midnight, a wizard will escort us out. Rest well once we’re outside—just guard these last few hours.”

Qi Xiao and Xiao Bai had no objections; Qi Xiao also jumped out of the vehicle. “I need to move around too. Sitting in there so long, my body’s gone stiff.”

Feng was gathering branches and stones inside the trap circle. Hearing footsteps approach, he asked without looking back, “What’s up, Ah Xiao?”

The nickname was new, but Qi Xiao didn’t respond. He stopped, turned, took a deep breath, and bowed respectfully toward a chunk of ochre ore, saying, “Sir, is there anything you wish to instruct?”

“What?” Feng was startled.

He spun around, looking toward where Qi Xiao had bowed, but saw only emptiness—no sign of anyone.

Still, Feng quickly took his bow from his back and gripped it, though he made no further move. He had an inkling and dared not aim at that spot.

A few seconds passed. A man—average build but with extremely muscular arms—gradually appeared, seated atop the ore.

“Interesting. How did you discover me?” The man crossed his thick arms over his chest, expressionless.

Qi Xiao, feeling the overwhelming aura, still bowed his head in respect and answered, “Just intuition, sir. I vaguely sensed someone was watching me there.”

Qi Xiao hadn’t lied—it was a persistent feeling that someone was observing from that direction.

The man withdrew his aura, his tone carrying a hint of praise. “Not bad. Call me Hulk. Once the event ends, I’ll send you an invitation on behalf of the Iron Fist Dojo. If you choose to join, you can name your terms. I’ll personally train you—even alchemists need a strong physique.”

Qi Xiao’s expression didn’t change, his voice remained sincere: “If my talent assessment leans toward bloodline wizardry, I’ll seriously consider it. Thank you, Master Hulk.”

Hulk’s form grew fainter as he shook his head. “Even if you’re not a bloodline wizard, you can choose Iron Fist Dojo.

Well, even if you don’t join, you’re welcome anytime. I’ll prepare a gift suited to you.”

Qi Xiao respectfully replied, and Hulk vanished completely under the moonlight.