Universal Shelter: I have a gold entry at each level!

Chapter 034: A Sudden Twist on Site! You’ve Got Guts!

Under Wu Qihao’s expectant gaze, Lin Xuan casually flipped his palm and produced the shelter blueprint. The instant Wu Qihao caught sight of the blueprint, his eyes lit up and he reached out to grab it—only to have Lin Xuan deftly evade his hand.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Wu Qihao stuttered, momentarily taken aback.

Lin Xuan replied coolly, “The blueprint is here—but where’s my wood?”

At these words, Wu Qihao’s eyes flickered as he responded, “How am I to know if the blueprint is genuine? I need to inspect it first.”

“Fine by me, but I want to see the wood first,” Lin Xuan countered, not one to be foolish.

Wu Qihao grew impatient. “Let me hold it and check the blueprint’s details. If it’s genuine, I’ll obviously give you the wood.”

“No. I want to see the wood first, then you can inspect the blueprint as much as you like,” Lin Xuan stated firmly.

As Lin Xuan stood his ground, Wu Qihao felt his anger rising. Considering the impressive strength Lin Xuan had demonstrated, Wu Qihao bit his lip and finally conceded, “Fine!”

With that, Wu Qihao strode to the center of the hall and swept his hand toward the ground. In the very next moment, a massive pile of wood materialized in the middle of the empty hall—a heap so enormous that it resembled a small mountain, with logs densely stacked together. The sight left the onlookers utterly astonished.

Most of the people present were ordinary—average in both strength and talent, with unimpressive shelters. They had never seen so much wood in one place. Some couldn’t help but feel a surge of greed, but the formidable reputation of Wu Qihao quickly dissuaded them.

Nearby, Liu Ziming’s heart ached as he took in the view. Most of that wood had originally been provided by him to Wu Qihao. He had intended to help Wu Qihao upgrade to a Level2 shelter so that he could later protect his entire family—but instead, he had inadvertently sponsored a backstabber!

The thought made Liu Ziming clench his teeth in silent fury, yet he knew better than to confront someone like Wu Qihao.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan’s eyes locked onto the pile of wood. However, a quick mental calculation revealed something was amiss. Being a man who had seen much in his life, he knew exactly how many units 20,000 wood should be. Although the pile looked enormous, it barely reached 10,000 units—certainly not even 15,000.

Shaking his head, Lin Xuan declared coolly, “It’s not enough!”

At these words, Wu Qihao’s lips twitched into a grimace, and a flash of embarrassment crossed his face. Fortunately, he had anticipated such a scenario. Clearing his throat, he explained, “This is merely a deposit—around 13,000 units of wood. But rest assured, the rest will be delivered to you—if not by tomorrow, then the day after. And besides, my ‘Fire Seed’ funding will arrive soon, which will add another 1,000 units for you as interest!”

Wu Qihao emphasized his Fire Seed status. In his mind, once the other party knew he was a Fire Seed personnel, they would be compelled to show him respect. After all, every Fire Seed member was known to be incredibly powerful—not only possessing special privileges but also limitless potential. He figured that the other party would not dare offend him.

Truth be told, if Lin Xuan weren’t also an elementalist, Wu Qihao might have taken full advantage of the situation. But after careful thought, Wu Qihao abandoned that idea.

“Deposit, huh?” Lin Xuan laughed. He hadn’t expected such a term to be thrown around. Even if there were various unstable factors and timing issues, he wouldn’t agree to such an arrangement. It was like a starving man finally catching a debt collector—only for the collector to say, “I’ll let you pay me back in a few days.” Even ignoring the uncertainty of when “a few days” might be, the very thought of starving today because you can’t get the money immediately was intolerable.

So, after hearing Wu Qihao’s words, Lin Xuan laughed, mocking his ignorance and self-importance, then shifted his tone and said firmly, “Pay cash on delivery! Not even half a unit short!”

At these words, Wu Qihao’s face flushed with anger. In his eyes, he had already shown Lin Xuan ample respect, yet his counterpart refused to budge an inch—leaving him with no face at all. This infuriated Wu Qihao, and as he glanced at the blueprint in Lin Xuan’s hand with deep resentment, he seethed inside. The blueprint was right there; if he could secure it, he, Wu Qihao, would become the next top hundred elite! That honor—this special glory—would make the world recognize the name Wu Qihao.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he bellowed, “If you won’t drink the toast, then you’ll pay with punishment! Then, go to hell!”

Before his words could finish, Wu Qihao dashed out of his bag and pulled a spiked club, charging at Lin Xuan with a determined look—his target the blueprint!

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone around. All eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan. Some of the timid ones covered their eyes, unwilling to witness the scene of Lin Xuan’s head about to be shattered.

But at that critical moment, as Wu Qihao neared Lin Xuan and his club was about to crash down heavily, a loud “Bang!” rang out! Soon after, the sound of a heavy object hitting the floor echoed—Wu Qihao was sent flying! In a dramatic twist, he was kicked by Lin Xuan and flew seven or eight meters before crashing hard onto the ground, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood.

The stark contrast of the scene left everyone dumbfounded. “Gah! That No. 92 tycoon is truly fierce!” someone exclaimed.

“Who would have thought No. 92 wasn’t just imposing with his wealth—he’s got the muscle to beat a No. 1 man in one blow!”

“Hey, what’s with that green shield around him?”

“It must be that beautiful lady’s bracelet skill—it protected No. 92!”

“Nonsense! No. 92 wouldn’t need a shield like that!”

“Indeed, No. 92 is a force to be reckoned with—daring to strike a Fire Seed personnel. Now he’s really in deep trouble!”

Amid the excited chatter, everyone marveled at Lin Xuan’s capabilities. Off to the side, Lin Xuan himself looked down at the green shield that now enveloped him and instinctively glanced behind at Ailiya. At that moment, Ailiya’s usually serene, beautiful face was etched with tension. Clutching a longbow that she held unbeknownst to when she had drawn it, she fixed her aim on Wu Qihao, who was not far off.

Lin Xuan also noticed that the bracelet he had given Ailiya earlier had been activated—the elemental energy still pulsed faintly along its surface.

“She’s telling me he’s a bad guy!” Ailiya frowned and asked Lin Xuan. The implication was clear: if Lin Xuan nodded, then in the next moment, Ailiya’s arrow would fly straight and shatter Wu Qihao’s skull. Lin Xuan never doubted Ailiya’s archery skills—after all, as an elven princess, she was not only an elementalist but also a master archer!

“Don’t worry—I can take him,” Lin Xuan assured her with a smile.

Ailiya nodded, though she kept her longbow raised. Knowing her simple nature, Lin Xuan decided not to press the matter further and turned his attention back to Wu Qihao with a cold laugh, “Hmph! No money? Fine, but you still dare to try and rob me?! You’ve got some nerve!”

“Your guts are really something!” someone exclaimed from the crowd.

“I never imagined No. 92 was so formidable—not only does his wealth intimidate, but his combat prowess is equally astonishing. Who would have thought he’d defeat a No. 1 man in one swift move!”

“And what’s with that green shield? Some say it’s the effect of that bracelet skill from the beautiful lady—but others argue No. 92 doesn’t need any shield at all!”

“No matter what, if he dares pick a fight with a Fire Seed personnel, he’s really in for a world of hurt!”

Amid the murmurs, the crowd buzzed with awe over Lin Xuan’s display of power. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan, slightly taken aback himself, gazed at the green shield protecting him and then at Ailiya behind him. He saw that her lovely face was creased with worry and that her hand gripped the longbow as if ready to strike. He also noted that the bracelet he had given her earlier still shimmered with residual elemental energy.

“He’s a villain!” Ailiya said, frowning as she looked to Lin Xuan. Her words made it clear: a nod from Lin Xuan would signal her to release an arrow aimed straight for Wu Qihao’s head. Lin Xuan, however, smiled reassuringly at her and said, “Relax—I’ll handle him.”

Ailiya nodded, though she did not lower her bow. Lin Xuan understood her pure heart, so he left her be and turned back to Wu Qihao with a cold laugh. “Hmph! If you don’t have the money, then that’s fine—but you dare try to steal from me?!”

“You’ve really got some guts!” someone called out.

The tension in the hall was palpable as onlookers continued to murmur. Meanwhile, Wu Qihao, his pride wounded and face flushed with anger, glared at the blueprint in Lin Xuan’s hand, his inner resentment deepening. All he desired was that blueprint; with it, Wu Qihao believed he could ascend to become the next top hundred elite—the special honor that would make his name known throughout the world.

In that moment, a fierce glint appeared in Wu Qihao’s eyes. With a thunderous roar, he bellowed, “If you won’t accept a proper trade, then prepare to die!”

Before anyone could react, Wu Qihao lunged forward with his spiked club aimed squarely at the blueprint. The hall fell silent as everyone watched the impending clash. Then, with a loud “Bang!” the sound of a heavy object hitting the floor rang out. Wu Qihao was flung backwards like a kite with a broken string—kicked several meters away before crashing to the ground and spewing blood from his mouth.

The dramatic reversal stunned everyone present. “Wow! No. 92 is truly fierce!” someone gasped.

“Who would have thought that No. 92 wasn’t just intimidating with his wealth—his physical strength is equally astounding, defeating a No. 1 man in one fell swoop!”

“And what is that green shield?!” another voice cried.

“Some say it’s the skill from that beautiful lady’s bracelet that shielded him!”

“Nonsense—No. 92 surely didn’t even need a shield!”

“True enough, but the fact remains: No. 92 dared to take on a Fire Seed personnel. Now he’s in deep trouble!”

As the crowd erupted into animated discussion, all eyes turned to Lin Xuan. He noticed Ailiya standing behind him, her beautiful face tense and her longbow still at the ready, aimed at the retreating Wu Qihao. The bracelet she wore, recently activated, shimmered with elemental waves.

Lin Xuan shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he remarked, “Hmph! If you don’t have the cash, then that’s one thing—but to try and snatch my blueprint? You’ve got some nerve!”

The tension was palpable, and amid the murmurs and exclamations of the onlookers, the scene continued to unfold with electrifying intensity.