C9 Divine Skill! Beginner Skill!!

Yang Rui was always serious about completing the missions issued by the system, particularly during his novice phase. He knew that snagging a great item could keep him smiling for a whole year.

Standing to one side were Yang Rui and Yixia, while Chuncao gracefully drifted toward Ximen Haoyu.

Ximen Haoyu's anger surged as he watched Chuncao approach. "Losing your temper now, are you? Have you forgotten your lessons already, or are you actually daring to strike?" He raised his right palm and aimed a slap at Chuncao. A subtle wave of energy emanated from Ximen Haoyu's palm, nearly imperceptible. Chuncao merely smiled, effortlessly catching Ximen Haoyu's arm. Ximen Haoyu instinctively tried to pull away, only to find he was immobilized.

Ximen Haoyu's face drained of color in shock. "How is this possible? How could this nobody have an expert in tow?" He was completely flabbergasted. Realizing he was outmatched, he quickly cowered. "Look, ma'am, please hold back. I was just having a bit of fun with Mr. Yang Rui..."

Yang Rui watched Ximen Haoyu with a sly grin. "Having fun with me? Seems like you're a bit confused about the meaning of 'fun.' Did you know your little punch could have been lethal?"

Indeed, the old Yang Rui might have been killed by such a punch!

"But I'm a forgiving person; I won't hold it against you. Chuncao, just knock him down," Yang Rui said dismissively. "I may be forgiving, but that's context-dependent. You nearly killed me, and I should still be generous? That would be foolish!"

Chuncao, of course, heeded her young master's command. She had heard every insult hurled at him and was not about to let it slide. "Hmph, let's see if I don't teach you a lesson!"

The sound of slaps filled the air as Ximen Haoyu was left without a chance to plead for mercy. His cries were pitiful, and Yang Rui found the whole scene delightful. "Ah, that's a good scream. I'll give it a 90!"

A crowd began to form, chuckling at the sight of Ximen Haoyu being held and slapped. They tried to stifle their laughter, struggling to contain their amusement as their faces reddened with the effort.

Chuncao was growing increasingly invigorated as the fight progressed, reveling in the exhilarating sensation.

"Okay, Chuncao, that's enough," Yang Rui interjected, noting that the system had signaled the completion of the mission. "Otherwise, by the time his mom gets here, she won't even recognize him."

"Hmph! If I ever hear you insult our young master again, you'll regret it!" Chuncao nonchalantly tossed Ximen Haoyu to the ground and dusted off her hands before approaching Yang Rui. "Young Master, I've avenged you."

Yang Rui offered a slight smile. "You've certainly outdone yourself, Chuncao."

Blushing at his words, Chuncao demurred, "Oh, it was nothing. Just doing what's expected of us."

"Alright, let's move on. We shouldn't let a trivial incident spoil our day," Yang Rui suggested, gesturing for Chuncao and Yixia to follow him.

Meanwhile, Ximen Haoyu lay on the ground, his world shattered. He was incredulous that he, the esteemed heir of the Ximen family, had been publicly humiliated. The slaps had left him reeling, questioning his very identity. It took a while for the searing pain on his face to subside, and when it did, several Ximen family servants rushed to his aid. They were initially taken aback upon seeing him, but they quickly composed themselves and helped him to his feet.

Ximen Haoyu's face was so swollen he was barely recognizable, which explained the servants' initial confusion.

"Liang Lei, you useless fool! What have you done to me?" Ximen Haoyu raged, knowing without a doubt that his once handsome face was now grotesquely swollen. In his fury, he lashed out at the servants with a flurry of kicks and punches.

Yang Rui, accompanied by Chuncao and Yixia, strolled leisurely while he accessed the System Interface to review the mission's rewards. Upon opening his inventory, he spotted a golden dice nestled beside the Beginner Gift Bag. It caught his eye with its shimmer, but he had yet to use the Beginner Gift Bag. He decided to open it later, along with the new item.

Upon clicking the golden dice, a dialog box popped up: "Do you want to use the random reward?"

"Absolutely!"

The dice spun rapidly before halting on the number six, bathing the area in a golden glow as a System Notification followed.

"Ding! Congratulations, you've obtained Anti-injury Thorn Armor Level 1!"

The Anti-injury Thorn Armor Level 1 offers a base enhancement: when taking a Physical Attack from an enemy, there's a 10% chance to reflect 100% of the damage back as Magic Damage. For every 20 points of physical defense, the damage reflection increases by 1% (up to +100%). The farther away the attacker, the less damage reflected, decreasing to 50% beyond 500 meters. This enhancement is a passive effect and cannot be controlled. The harder the enemy hits, the quicker their downfall—it could be you, or it could be them!

Wow, this Anti-injury Thorn Armor is seriously impressive, almost worthy of being called a god-tier Passive Skill. A 10% chance might not seem high, but it's not low either. Imagine the poor soul who triggers this Passive Skill during an intense fight—what a tragic tale that would be. Too dreadful to even watch!

After claiming the Random Reward, Yang Rui's attention shifted to the Beginner Gift Bag. This item was reserved for the first person to bind with the system, and he was curious about the treasures it might contain. Given that it was intended for the system's initial user, the contents were bound to be substantial.

Upon opening the Beginner Gift Bag, Yang Rui was taken aback!

"Ding! Congratulations, you've earned the Beginner's Privilege. Choose one of the following three Gain Skills to keep as your permanent skill. Choose wisely! The options are: The more, the better, Near-death Guard, and you've also received a Beginner Gift Bag Level 10*1, plus 1,000 Experience Points!"

The Beginner's Privilege Gain Skill grants a 50% chance to receive an additional reward item or Experience Point whenever a reward is earned. This skill is non-upgradable.

The more, the better, another Beginner's Privilege Gain Skill, embodies the adage that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This skill grants the host an extra Experience Point every minute and can be upgraded under the right conditions.

The Near-death Guard, a Gain Skill from the Beginner's Privilege, activates when the host sustains fatal damage, forcefully preserving a minimum of 1 HP and placing the host in a state of feigned death, undetectable by others. The cooldown period is 12,000 hours, and the skill is non-upgradable.

Wow! Yang Rui watched in awe, practically salivating over this true Divine Skill! Any retaliatory damage paled in comparison—it was like child's play! See? The Beginner skill is practically a cheat code! Lacking experience? Not enough Experience Points? Small increments add up, allowing you to level up even while you're catching some Z's at home! Think the rewards are meager? A 50% chance is incredibly generous! And let's not even start on the Near-death Guard; it's essentially an extra life! What's a guy to do when he wants them all but can only choose one? Is there any way to snag all three skills? Ugh, it's so frustrating! I'm on edge here, waiting for a solution!