Genius in the whole system: The useless young lady dominates the world

Seeing that Lu Lingxi remained silent, the woman's face seemed to be gripped by urgent emotions, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, as if a heavy burden was pressing on her heart.

The people around, whether old or young, all had deep worries in their eyes, as if they were sharing the invisible pressure with the woman.

However, among this group of people, the man stood out. His face was full of embarrassment and helplessness, as if he had been suddenly drawn into a vortex that he did not want to participate in.

Lu Lingxi observed coldly. She knew that these people were not bad at heart; on the contrary, they were full of warmth and kindness. If they really wanted to harm her, they probably would have done so long ago.

Lu Lingxi gave a cold laugh. Her voice was calm and firm, and every word was resounding.

"Gentlemen, I will never sell this spirit beast. All you want is a living spirit beast. I promise you, I will capture one for you. Why are you so fixated on this one?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in red spoke with a hint of contempt and disdain, completely disbelieving Lu Lingxi Yao's words.

"Little guy, you've got quite the big mouth. Even if all of us work together, we might not be able to capture a single live spirit beast. What makes you think you can do it?"

The atmosphere inside the tent became subtle because of Lu Lingxi's bold remarks. Some people sneered, while others shook their heads, all expressing doubt about her confidence.

But Lu Lingxi remained unmoved, her eyes clear and firm.

“I don’t know what your so-called rating means to you, but I do know that the uncle kindly brought me here and protected me from danger after a chance encounter. For this kindness, I will do my best to solve the problem of the spirit beast for you.”

The woman in red raised an eyebrow slightly, her voice carrying a hint of amusement and curiosity.

"Solve it? Little one, tell me, how do you plan to solve it?"

Lu Lingxi gently turned her eyes, fixing her gaze on the slightly embarrassed man in front of her, and asked in a gentle tone, "So, can you tell me in detail what the reason is?"

Upon hearing this, the man gave a bitter smile, took a deep breath, and told the whole story.

"The Dark Mine is a treasure trove considered by the Holy Spirit Kingdom as the source of spirit stones. Its mercenary guild wields great power, commanding hundreds of mercenary groups. To get a share of this vast mountain range, one must pass a strict ranking system. At the biennial grand event, only mercenary groups of five stars or higher are qualified to mine new caverns and explore unknown veins. Once a new vein is found, it can be enjoyed exclusively for two years. However, if the ranking drops, not only will the vein be lost, but the threshold to enter the Dark Mine will be completely closed."

After listening, Lu Lingxi frowned slightly, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes. She seemed to have figured out the complicated rules. She thought to herself: This rating is the golden key to the dark mine, and also the yardstick for measuring strength and status.

"So, you're not entirely confident about this rating?" Her words were gentle, yet they struck a chord deep within everyone's hearts.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere froze for a moment, and everyone's expression became subtle, a mixture of embarrassment and unease.

They were either deep in thought or exchanging subtle glances; clearly, they all harbored an unspeakable unease and anxiety about the upcoming evaluation.

"Our Blazing Flame Mercenary Group was once a force to be reckoned with, but the wheel of fate turned abruptly three months ago in an accident. That day, we stumbled upon an unexplored mineral vein, but this vein also attracted greedy eyes. Other mercenary groups caught wind of it, and a fierce battle was inevitable."

"Despite our best efforts, we still lost. Not only did we lose the new mine, but worse, this defeat demoralized the group, and some of the strongest members became disheartened and left one after another."

Lu Lingxi frowned slightly, her eyes filled with confusion. She slowly said, "Isn't it that whoever discovers it first owns it?"

Faced with Lu Lingxi's question, a complex look flashed in the red-clad woman's eyes, and she responded with a wry smile.

"In this land ruled by rules and power, whoever discovers it first does not necessarily possess it. In the world of mercenaries, strength determines everything, the strong are respected, and what belongs to the weak is merely prey in the eyes of the strong."

The man's voice was tinged with helplessness and resentment, "That's why our Blazing Flame Mercenary Group is now in dire straits, and maintaining a five-star rating is a pipe dream. Unless... we can find a shortcut, a path that allows us to still stand firm despite our lack of strength."

"Spirit beasts? You actually want to use them as bargaining chips to gain the favor of the rating examiners?" Lu Lingxi Yao's tone was somewhat incredulous.

The man nodded dejectedly, acknowledging the seemingly absurd plan. "Yes, but we know it's easier said than done. The few small mines we have only produce low-grade spirit stones. While they can barely cover our daily expenses, they are far from enough to allow us to buy a high-grade spirit beast on the market. The prices of those spirit beasts are already ridiculously high."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lingxi Yao's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Have you not considered that the examiner who conducted the evaluation might already possess a much more powerful spirit beast, and your 'gifts' might just be a joke to him?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of anxiety flashed in the woman's eyes, but she still insisted, "We've investigated, and the examiner doesn't have a spirit beast. This is our only hope."

Lu Lingxi stopped arguing and calmly raised another question, "So, assuming this shortcut doesn't work, if we really have to rank people based on their abilities, how are the rules defined?"

The man replied, "The mercenary hierarchy is clearly defined, divided into eight levels. Since the first evaluation of star-level mercenary groups, fierce competitions have been held. Each year, each mercenary group carefully selects and forms elite teams to participate in the competition. Lower-level mercenary groups have the right to challenge higher-level groups; if they succeed, they advance; otherwise, they drop in level. In short, with sufficient strength, one can challenge any star-level mercenary group, even those of a higher level."

At this point, Lu Lingxi Yao's gaze swept over everyone present, her tone carrying an unavoidable seriousness.

"It seems that your Flame Mercenary Group is also destined to be challenged. Once defeated, it means losing your current qualifications."

At this moment, a member of the Blazing Flame Mercenary Group arrived, looking dejected. "We were full of confidence, planning to challenge a higher-level mercenary group this year. Who would have thought that something like that would happen..."

The woman in red's eyes gradually reddened, her voice trembling with emotion: "Our Blazing Flame Mercenary Group has always adhered to the principle of not fighting with others or deliberately suppressing them, but we never expected that such a peaceful team would suffer such a heavy blow. In the end, it's because we ourselves are not strong enough..."

Just as her mood was starting to sink, the man suddenly interrupted the woman in red. His voice boomed like a bell, full of inspiring power.

"Alright, stop indulging in those unrealistic fantasies! Let's face this battle squarely. Even if we lose, we can just start over! The word 'retreat' doesn't exist in the dictionary of the Blazing Flame!"

The man's words ignited everyone's fighting spirit like a raging fire, and hope was rekindled in their eyes.

Watching this scene, Lu Lingxi Yao couldn't help but feel sincere admiration. She echoed, "Give it your all, go all out, and even if the final result is not satisfactory, you will have no regrets!"

The man gently reached out and placed his palm on Lu Lingxi's soft hair, winking at her affectionately. Then, he slowly raised his thumb, accompanied by a hearty laugh that echoed in the air, "Hahaha, I agree!"

Faced with this scene, the brothers of Blazing Flame seemed to have not seen their deputy commander laugh so heartily for a long time. The joy emanating from within was like a warm current, instantly melting away the barriers and fatigue that had arisen from the long-term tension between them.

Infected by this emotion, everyone seemed to find common ground, and they all stood up, their voices converging into an unstoppable force, shouting in unison:

"Give it your all, go all out, give it your all, go all out..."

At this moment, the woman in red walked up to Lu Lingxi Yao. Her eyes held both apology and admiration. She bowed slightly and said sincerely, "Little one, I was wrong just now. You're right. Instead of looking for shortcuts, it's better to face the challenge openly and honestly!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Lingxi simply waved her hand gently, a forgiving smile on her face, as if the unpleasantness just now was merely a minor episode in life, insignificant.

"It's okay! It's all in the past. The important thing is that we can work together and face it together now."

Although her voice was soft, it carried an undeniable firmness and strength, warming the hearts of everyone present.