As a gust of fragrant air drifted over, a wavy-haired girl sat down across from Yang Xi. This time, she was dressed in a sleek black business suit.
She took off her sunglasses, raised an eyebrow at Yang Xi, and said with a playful smile, “Hey, handsome. Mind adding another pair of chopsticks?”
Yang Xi was a bit surprised. “You work around here too?”
Had he misjudged this girl’s profession?
Lin Naixue nodded. “I have two jobs—one during the day, and a part-time gig at night.”
Yang Xi signaled the waiter to bring an extra set of utensils. “Sounds tough. Are you short on cash?”
“Yeah, super short.”
“Speaking of which, I’m not the one paying today. Our host is this guy right here.”
Yang Xi nudged the stunned Fan Peng beside him.
Fan Peng had dated quite a few girls before, but this was the first time he had seen someone as stunning as Lin Naixue.
“Wait, wait—how do you even know this girl? I thought you’ve never been in a relationship?”
Yang Xi casually tossed aside a frog leg bone. “We’re roommates.”
“You what?!”
Fan Peng was filled with envy. Had he made a mistake renting out an entire apartment for himself?
Because Lin Naixue was a rare female acquaintance of Yang Xi’s, Fan Peng, for once, acted with restraint and quietly focused on eating.
Yang Xi didn’t press further about why she was so desperate for money. Everyone in this world had their own struggles. If not for last night’s unexpected incident, he might not have even learned his roommate’s name.
Though they lived under the same roof, they were ultimately just passing strangers in each other’s lives.
The atmosphere at the table turned somewhat cold. When it was just the two of them, Fan Peng would always chat with Yang Xi about the most trivial nonsense. But now that Lin Naixue was here, he didn’t want to steal the spotlight from his friend and found himself anxiously silent.
"Dude, you can’t just sit there when it comes to flirting! Especially with a girl of this caliber!"
Fan Peng stealthily sent Yang Xi a message on his phone. But before Yang Xi could even check it, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the street!
“Abyssal Beast! An Abyssal Beast has appeared!”
People turned toward a terrified middle-aged man with a messenger bag, who was pointing in horror.
Following his finger, they saw it—on the fourth floor of the Yin Tai shopping center, right where the “Bain Education” sign was displayed, a black dimensional rift had torn open.
From its dark depths, spider-like appendages emerged, clawing at the edges of the rift and prying it wider. Then, a massive, crimson, vertical pupil—half a meter in diameter—came into view.
The sl*t-shaped eye adjusted to the bright light of Azure Planet, then… it spotted the people below.
Some drivers, distracted by the horrifying sight, slammed on their brakes too late, resulting in a pile-up at the intersection. Traffic instantly ground to a halt.
“The Abyssal Beast is here! Run!!!”
“Mommy! I want my mommy!” A little girl fell helplessly amidst the panicked, shoving crowd.
“Stay calm! Keep order!” A traffic officer in a reflective vest tried to control the situation, but it was futile.
Despite how common these attacks had become, mass panic was an unavoidable reaction.
After all, when it came to survival, no one would give up their chance. The underground shelters in each district had limited space, and if you were too slow… you’d be stuck outside.
That was why running speed was a crucial life skill on Azure Planet. Failing chemistry in elementary school? Fine. But failing P.E.? That was a guaranteed mixed-discipline beatdown.
At school, the math teacher never dared to let the P.E. teacher “call in sick.”
“Abyssal Beast incursion! Abyssal Beast incursion! Threat level: B! All citizens, evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately! Heroes have been dispatched!”
Emergency alerts flashed across televisions, radio broadcasts, and personal devices.
Yang Xi and his companions exchanged glances before hastily joining the fleeing crowd.
But at that moment, a muscular man in an American comic-themed jacket suddenly leaped into the air—charging straight toward the Abyssal Beast!
“It’s the B-rank hero—Suan La Fen Superman! He’s here to save us!”
Suan La Fen Superman’s Power
After consuming a bowl of spicy and sour noodles, Suan La Fen Superman gained a temporary boost—his physical abilities became over ten times stronger than an average person’s.
This enhancement didn’t just apply to strength—it dramatically improved his speed and defense as well. Without this, a single careless punch from him might shatter his own bones.
It was hard to believe that a mere bowl of noodles could generate such immense power…
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
But this was the reality of supernatural abilities—phenomena that defied common logic.
His combat suit strained against his bulging muscles, his body swelling from the surge of power. Standing at an imposing 2.2 meters tall, his arms were as thick as most people’s thighs.
Pointing a radish-like finger at the monstrous entity emerging from the rift, he smirked, flashing a grin as recognizable as the Nike logo.
“With Suan La Fen Superman here, there’s no way I’m letting you destroy Lugang City!”
The Abyssal Beast, known as the Cyclopean Reaper, resembled a gargantuan octopus, though its tentacles had morphed into razor-sharp spider legs, obsidian-black and gleaming menacingly.
Most terrifying of all was its eye—a singular, massive organ occupying half its head. It had no eyelids, leaving the entire blood-red eyeball perpetually exposed.
Having locked onto Suan La Fen Superman, the beast shifted its focus away from the panicked crowd. Its eighteen serrated limbs moved in a rhythmic, hypnotic dance.
“Looks like it’s marked me as a threat.”
Suan La Fen Superman knew the Cyclopean Reaper wasn’t just heavily armored—it was also a close-combat nightmare. With eighteen limbs working in perfect synchronization, fighting it head-on was a nightmare scenario.
He didn’t rush in recklessly. Instead, he carefully studied the creature’s movements.
“Suan La Fen Superman, sir!”
A streak of crimson fire blazed across the sky. A young woman, her back adorned with flaming wings, arrived just in time—C-rank hero Flame Butterfly.
She had been in the middle of getting her nails done when the emergency alert went off. The timing was awful—she had just finished removing her old polish.
Flame Butterfly was one of the few heroes in Lugang City capable of flight, which meant she was frequently called to provide air support. Thanks to this, she had risen to the rank of C-rank hero not long after graduating.
“You’re just in time! I’ll hold it down—Flame Butterfly, you focus on attacking!”
She nodded. “Got it, sir!”
Knowing his ability had a time limit, Suan La Fen Superman wasted no more time.
He stomped the ground with explosive force, cracking the pavement beneath him. Like a missile, he launched himself toward the fourth-floor wall where the Cyclopean Reaper lurked.
Sensing danger, the beast bristled—all eighteen of its razor-sharp limbs snapped toward the incoming hero.
“Suan La Fen Superman has chosen to strike first! Let’s all cheer for our heroes!”
The live-streaming bot had already arrived on the scene. It resembled a drone, equipped with an ultra-HD camera and a playback function.
At this moment, on the “Doumou TV” platform of Azure Planet, under the Hero Live category, the match “Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman VS the One-Eyed Slayer” in District 1, Lugang City, had broken past five million viewers.
Apart from Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman’s considerable popularity, the rarity of the One-Eyed Slayer had also caused a massive surge in viewership.
“D*mn! It’s actually the One-Eyed Slayer! Eighteen spider spears in total—so insanely cool!!!”
On Azure Planet, even exotic beasts had their own fanbases. Since there were no laws against it, no one could do anything about these beast fans.
A viewer with the ID "Lemon Man" sent a Giant Sword gift in the chat, but instead of praise, it drew a wave of condemnation.
After all, mainstream opinion was all about cheering for the heroes.
“This guy must be brain-dead. No matter how cool an exotic beast looks, it''s still the enemy. Of course, we should support Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman!”
“The one sending the Giant Sword is a dumbass. Case closed.”
“Calling an exotic beast cool? Yeah, he’s definitely an orphan. Let’s all show some pity and hope he reunites with his family soon!”
The chaotic barrage of comments was just the norm.
The commentator for this livestream was "Hat Emperor," a host from Lugang City TV Station. Before switching to hero commentary, he had been a basketball player—his nickname came from getting blocked all the time on the court.
“Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman is a close-combat hero. Right now, he’s trying to close the distance using his enhanced jumping ability. Not only did the exotic beast tear open the Black Cavity at a tricky location, but he also doesn’t want this battle happening on the ground! The traffic has completely collapsed, and people still need time to evacuate!”
Coach Ge, once a professional hero, had retired due to age and now worked alongside Hat Emperor as a live-stream analyst. He was known for his sharp-tongued and sarcastic commentary.
"When Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman first debuted, he was a sneaky b*st*rd. His ability only activates after he finishes eating a bowl of hot-and-sour noodles, so he usually waits for other heroes to weaken the exotic beasts before jumping in to steal the final blow."
As expected of Coach Ge, always dropping insider gossip. But his big mouth was a well-known habit—he frequently had to apologize on PushPush (a social media platform). People usually believed half of what he said since, in his hero days, he wasn’t exactly famous for his combat skills. Ironically, it was hero commentary that made him popular.
Hat Emperor chuckled, “Coach Ge makes a good point. The time from the exotic beast’s appearance to Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman’s entrance was so short—I bet he just happened to be eating hot-and-sour noodles at the time.”
Coach Ge snorted, “B*llsh*t! That kid hates hot-and-sour noodles. Every time he eats them, it means he’s about to risk his life. No matter how much he likes them, they’d taste like sawdust to him now.”
“I’m guessing someone nearby was eating noodles, and that punk snatched their bowl instead.”
As soon as Coach Ge said this, the chat exploded:
“IT WAS ME! I WAS THERE! MY HOT-AND-SOUR NOODLES GOT STOLEN! I DEMAND HERO ASSOCIATION COMPENSATE ME WITH A DISCOUNT COUPON—SPEND 1000, GET 0.5 OFF!!”
The livestream chat was on fire, but the people at the scene weren’t nearly as excited.
They watched hero fights all the time, but actually being this close to an exotic beast? Some were already popping heart medication.
The recent grand opening of HeyTea had caused a massive influx of hired queue-standers, so the first floor of Yintai Mall was completely jammed.
Meanwhile, Yang Xi had deliberately separated from Fan Peng and Lin Naixue. While the crowd rushed to the underground shelters, he headed upstairs instead, avoiding the cameras and slipping into a cosplay shop.
This spot put him at the same level as the exotic beast—a perfect vantage point.
“So this is the One-Eyed Slayer?” Yang Xi rested his chin on his hand, activating Brain Overclock Mode.
Under Brain Overclocking, his vision sharpened, just as Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman unleashed his ultimate move—''Peanut Airburst''.
''Peanut Airburst'' was one of his few mid-range attacks, using rapid punches to generate a shockwave.
While moving at high speed, Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman suddenly spread his crossed arms wide!
“HAAAH!!!”
With his battle cry, a peanut-shaped blast of air hurtled toward the One-Eyed Slayer.
However, the beast barely reacted. With a tiny tap from its smallest right-side spider spear, it launched its massive body sideways, vanishing like a phantom and reappearing behind Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman.
The Peanut Airburst smashed into Yintai Mall’s exterior wall, leaving a two-meter peanut-shaped hole that exposed the store interiors inside.
“So fast! This thing’s speed is off the charts!”
Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman twisted midair, immediately kicking at his opponent.
His whip kick and the spider spear collided—a deep, heavy impact rang out.
“Such insane hardness!”
He had always been confident in his strength, having fought countless foes. Normally, his fists could smash through most defenses, but against the One-Eyed Slayer, his punches and kicks barely left a faint white mark.
Sweat beaded on Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman’s forehead as he panted heavily.
“This is gonna be tough…”