C18 Three Giants(1)

Bai Yaojin's voice, as menacing as a demon's, rang out, "Eat first. You can play after you're done."

The three were hoisted by an unseen force to the dining table, where they were finally allowed to sit freely.

Old Li sat expressionless at the head of the table while the robot, Little Beauty, arranged the dishes.

The trio quickly greeted, "Hello, Dad (Uncle), and thank you, Little Beauty."

Little Beauty, the robot, responded politely, "No need to thank me."

Once Bai Yaojin took her seat, Old Li simply stated, "Eat."

Only then did Bai Chengcheng and the others dare to pick up their chopsticks and begin to wolf down their food at breakneck speed.

With a cheery grin, Bai Yaojin inquired, "How is it?"

All three looked up at Old Li. At the Bai family table, Old Li had always insisted on silence during meals.

Uncharacteristically, Old Li remained quiet, continuing to eat without a word.

Lu Youzhi, noticing Old Li's lack of objection, boasted, "I've reached the second level in both the cultivation and fist techniques, though my footwork is still at the first level."

Fan Gongming was equally proud, "I've mastered the second level of the cultivation technique and footwork, and the first level of the fist technique."

Bai Yaojin turned to Bai Chengcheng, with Old Li listening intently.

Mouth full of food, Bai Chengcheng mumbled, "I'm a bit better than them." He had completed the second level in both fist technique and footwork, advancing to the third level. Equivalent to a Martial Master, ascending from Martial Disciple to Martial Master in a month was not just prodigious—it was downright monstrous.

Despite his indistinct speech, both Bai Yaojin and Old Li were immensely pleased.

Bai Chengcheng was inwardly astonished; he thought he caught a glimpse of a smile on Old Li's usually stern face. Upon closer inspection, the usual cold expression was all that remained. He wondered if he had been mistaken or if it was an illusion. Raised with a lenient mother and a strict father, which child wouldn't prefer play? Thus, Old Li's displeasure with Chengcheng was evident, and warm expressions were rare.

Stranger still, Chengcheng was certain that his father was stealing glances at him now and then. He touched his face, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. Not daring to ask, he simply continued to focus on his meal.

Bai Yaojin inquired further, "And how about your cultural studies?"

This time, both Lu Youzhi and Fan Gongming waited for Bai Chengcheng to take the lead.

"I should be able to make it into the top three," Bai Chengcheng responded, referring to his class ranking.

Bai Yaojin smiled, "Do you think you three could sweep the top spots?"

Fan Gongming hastily replied, "I can't make any promises, with top students like Feng Rulei and Liu Xingye in the mix."

Lu Youzhi nodded vigorously, "Exactly, exactly."

Old Li interjected suddenly, "Feng Rulei was looking for you."

Bai Chengcheng acknowledged with a nod, signaling his awareness, and continued with his meal. Both Bai Yaojin and Old Li observed Bai Chengcheng but saw nothing amiss. They exchanged a glance and dropped the subject.

Bai Yaojin broached a new topic, "How do you plan to explain your sudden improvement to your peers and teachers?" This was her primary reason for insisting that Bai Chengcheng and his friends eat before playing. Without a unified story, they could easily stir up trouble.

Bai Chengcheng and Lu Youzhi looked puzzled, "Aren't we allowed to tell them?"

Fan Gongming pondered for a moment.

Bai Yaojin, slightly annoyed, glanced at Bai Chengcheng and Lu Youzhi, "Ask Monkey."

Fan Gongming said, "We really can't tell. Auntie, is this mask from a natural ecosystem? If it's synthetic, that would be somewhat better."

"Oh," Bai Chengcheng finally caught on.

Bai Yaojin suggested, "Even if it's artificial, given your families' apparent financial status, flaunting it would be ill-advised. Here's an idea: say that during the holidays, your families invested heavily in Level Three Enhancement Fluid. The enhancement triggered your superpowers and unexpectedly developed your brain regions."

The explanation was plausible, if a bit of a stretch. With the college entrance exams looming, the state could ensure university placement for everyone, but the prestige of institutions varied. It was common for eager parents to invest in enhancing their children's abilities at this critical time. The plausibility was questionable because the odds of awakening superpowers during enhancement were exceedingly slim, less than one in a hundred thousand.

Mr. Fan nodded in agreement, "It's a reasonable story. But we don't actually have superpowers."

Bai Yaojin remarked, "Why not claim it was teleportation? The second level of Floating Light and Flashing Shadow might as well be teleportation to the average person. Sure, experts might notice the difference, but you could always chalk it up to a lack of strength or insufficient practice.

Big Bear, you can say it's energy absorption. By invoking the Heaven Devouring Spell, you can indeed take in the energy from others' physical attacks.

As for Orange, let's go with mimicry. Whether it's academic subjects or martial arts, you have the knack for remembering anything with just a glance.

Also, be cautious about revealing your martial arts techniques, particularly the fact that you have access to so many. It's crucial to keep that under wraps.

Just come up with some names. Orange, you can say you're practicing the family's Tai Chi since your dad practices it often. Big Bear, your technique will be Thunderbolt Fist—sounds powerful, right? And Monkey, yours will be the Five Elements Palm, which is fairly common. Got all that?"

All three nodded in agreement. Secrecy was essential, especially since possessing such treasures could attract unwanted attention. The system was a rarity, and high-level techniques and martial arts were not to be disclosed carelessly—they were the prized possessions of various clans and schools, not to be shared lightly. Coveting another's techniques was a serious faux pas. A defenseless person with advanced martial arts was like a child flaunting a gold brick in the street.

Bai Chengcheng inquired, "What about the headgear? Surely we can't be expected to wear it only at home?"

Bai Yaojin responded, "After dinner, I'll merge it onto your heads. Your skin is tough; it won't hurt to add another layer." Her comment about tough skin was clearly made in jest.

Mr. Fan asked, "Then what about washing our faces?"

Bai Yaojin chuckled, "Wash your face? Who needs a face when you're shameless?"

The three youngsters were torn between laughter and tears.

Post-dinner, Bai Yaojin had the trio don the headgear and with a snap of her fingers declared the job done.

"That's it?" Bai Chengcheng asked, bewildered.

"Check yourself out in the mirror," Bai Yaojin urged with a pout.

The trio hurried to the mirror, and to their amazement, the masks had vanished from their heads without affecting a single hair. They examined each other, touching their faces, yet feeling nothing out of the ordinary.

Fan Gongming called out, "Study." Instantly, the panel before him illuminated, revealing a list of books. With another shout, "Close," the list vanished, and the room came back into view.

None of them were wildly excited; they had long grown accustomed to Bai Yaojin's magical antics. Yet, Bai Yaojin had another surprise in store. "The mask has an additional feature—disguise. You can copy three to five different faces and save them in the mask. When you need to disguise yourself, just call out the number."

"Wow, that's cool." Whether they needed to disguise themselves or not was beside the point; it was at least entertaining.

"Take your time to explore it," Bai Yaojin said as she and Old Li descended the stairs, leaving the trio alone upstairs.

Disguising themselves could wait; their priority was to enter the second world. It had been nearly a month since their last visit, and they were eager to return.

They weren't going in for games; they each had their own beloved work to attend to.