Lin Xiao

The bright and warm winter sunlight streamed through the crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling windows of the villa's second floor, illuminating the spacious martial arts hall. It also shone upon Chen Daolin, who was dressed in a white training uniform and practicing thrusts with a long spear. The interplay of light and shadow cast across his young, well-defined face made his expression look as vivid as a painting for a fleeting moment.

"Spearmanship, footwork—how should they be combined and fused together?" Chen Daolin pondered.

His teacher, Situ Bolei, had once said that everyone is unique, everyone's comprehension is different, and the martial arts that suit others may not necessarily suit you.

The path of martial arts is a process of understanding oneself and finding one's own way.

Beyond persistent and arduous training, it requires constant reflection. Or, one must seek breakthroughs in battle, on the thin line between life and death.

"Difficult, too difficult." Chen Daolin lowered his spear, his face filled with a sigh.

Ever since he mastered the first level of World Destroyer in October, Chen Daolin had begun to study the second level, only to discover that the difficulty of practicing the second level was far greater than the first.

In particular, the book contained many profound and mysterious ancient Huaxia philosophies, which gave Chen Daolin a massive headache. He had to frequently consult his teacher, Situ Bolei, and even made the study of ancient Huaxia culture a part of his daily routine.

But there was no helping it; the creator of the manual, Hong, was an Easterner who revered Huaxia culture. This was evident from the fact that the Hongning Base City he built and the Elite Training Camp were both filled with ancient Huaxia architectural styles. Indeed, Hong's influence on the entire world was immense.

"Ring, ring, ring..." At that moment, the alarm clock Chen Daolin had set in the martial arts hall suddenly rang. Chen Daolin glanced at the clock, walked over to turn it off, and then headed into the bathroom. The bathroom in Chen Daolin's villa was very large; the bathtub, built with white tiles, was big enough for two people to lie side-by-side with their legs stretched out without any issue. Occasionally, when Chen Daolin felt exhausted from contemplating his spearmanship, he would fill it with hot water and lie in the tub to relax.

Chen Daolin lay in the bathtub, settling into the quiet as white steam rose in the bathroom.

In the neighboring villa, there was a similar bathroom. Ji Xuan took off her clothes, revealing a full, athletic body. Below her flat abdomen were long, shapely, and vibrant legs. Ji Xuan's expression was calm; her black hair had grown to her shoulders, giving her a touch of feminine softness. Her nose was straight, her lips thin, and her eyes were as clear as water. Her facial features were not as soft as many other girls, but rather carried a certain sharpness. She wiped the water from her body, quickly returned to her room, changed into a white outfit, and walked out of the bedroom.

"Sis, where are you going?" Ji Han, who was hiding in her room reading, poked her little head out. Her black hair cascaded down, and she was wearing only a thin pink indoor pajama set, revealing her fair, slender calves. She was holding a copy of Das Kapital in her hand.

"Going to the city center with your brother Daolin to see your sister Lin Xiao," Ji Xuan said without looking back. Before her voice had even faded, her figure blurred, and she had already stepped out of the house.

That is how fast a martial artist walks.

"Leaving me all alone again." Ji Han puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, her mouth pouting. However, upon thinking of something, a smile reappeared on her face. She returned to her room, lay on the bed, and opened her laptop. Even though she was the only one in the room, she still sneakily opened a website, giggling at the long string of zeros in the bank account displayed on the screen.

Both Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan doted on her immensely. Furthermore, with their vast wealth—Chen Daolin's account held over ten billion, including the 5 billion annual activity fund from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, the 5 billion won from defeating Candice, the massive rewards from hunting monsters, and the occasional wins from gambling matches against other training camp students—Chen Daolin had accumulated a staggering amount of money in just a few months.

For Ji Han, his only little sister, giving her one or two million in "pocket money" was perfectly normal.

Ji Xuan, as a sister, was relatively "poor," but she had still given her two million.

By this time, Ji Xuan was already on the road to the main city center with Chen Daolin.

"I wonder how Lin Xiao is doing at university." A smile appeared on Chen Daolin's face when he mentioned his friend. Ever since his transmigration and rebirth, Chen Daolin's personality had been somewhat solitary; he didn't have many friends, only Ji Xuan and Lin Xiao.

"She was crying poor to me during our video chat earlier. Out of all the girls in her dorm, she's the only one who eats in the cafeteria every single day," Ji Xuan shook her head. "She even said the other girls in her dorm go out shopping and never invite her."

Lin Xiao's family situation was the same as Ji Xuan's had been before—relatively difficult. Getting into university was already hard enough, let alone having extra money to spend.

Although she was not a vain person by nature, the people around her were always comparing themselves to others. Living in this world, many people live their lives through the eyes of others.

Comparison is also a human instinct.

Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan were not people who enjoyed luxury by nature, and given their current status, position, and ability, they didn't really care about that bit of money.

"I'll leave it to you this time. If I give her money, she might think I'm trying to keep her as a mistress," Chen Daolin still had his boundaries.

"Heh, she might even be begging for it," Ji Xuan said with a strange tone.

Chen Daolin: "..."

In the main district of Jiangnan Base City, near the entrance of the Jiangnan Second Military Academy, Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan sat at a table in a beverage shop, looking like a couple on a date. Although they were young and looked like college students, both possessed an extraordinary aura that attracted many people in the shop to steal glances at them.

Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan drank their beverages while chatting casually.

They mostly talked about the training camp and their respective insights into footwork, spearmanship, and blade techniques. If anyone else had heard them, they would surely have been completely bewildered.

When a person's level is different, the things they come into contact with are different, and their future achievements will naturally be different as well.

Soon, the flow of people coming out of the Jiangnan Second Military Academy increased. A pure and beautiful girl with a single ponytail, wearing a yellow down jacket and black jeans, walked out of the school gate and headed straight for the beverage shop.

"You guys are finally here." Lin Xiao plopped down into the seat next to Chen Daolin, even nudging him as if in disgust. Of course, Chen Daolin didn't budge; even if you hit him with a rocket launcher now, it wouldn't necessarily make him move an inch.

"?"

However, this girl's attitude was becoming increasingly arrogant. Considering they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Chen Daolin gave her some face and moved slightly to make room.

After ordering new drinks, Ji Xuan asked Lin Xiao with a smile, "Why do you look so tired? Is university really that busy?"

Lin Xiao rolled her eyes at Ji Xuan. "My dear master Ji, I'm attending a military academy. I'm not like you, already making a name for yourself in the Elite Training Camp. I have to study hard so I can find a job and support myself in the future."

Chen Daolin quipped, "With that disgusted look on your face, you might as well just find someone to marry."

Lin Xiao glared at him. "In this day and age, what status does a housewife have? Power comes from the wallet; only by controlling the economy can you stand tall. I'm not that stupid to become someone else's appendage." She changed the subject, "Of course, if a rich and obedient handsome guy came to chase me, I might consider it."

"You think too highly of yourself," Chen Daolin was speechless.

A stylish, tall, and thin young man suddenly walked into the beverage shop and headed toward Lin Xiao's table. When Lin Xiao saw him, her brows furrowed.

"Xiaoxiao, why are you here? I've been looking for you for a long time. There's a great movie showing at the nearby Space Cinema today; let's go watch it together, and then I'll treat you to dinner." The young man reached out his hand toward Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao slapped his hand away and said coldly, "Are we going to get a room after the movie, too?"

"Uh..." The young man smiled awkwardly. "Xiaoxiao, you misunderstood me. I really like you. There are so many girls in school, but I only chase you. Can you give me a chance? Let's go, let's watch the movie."

"Yu Zishi, I don't know you well, and I don't like you. Please don't come looking for me again," Lin Xiao said bluntly. "Now, please leave. I still have things to talk about with my friends."

Yu Zishi hadn't expected Lin Xiao to show him so little face in front of others, and his expression darkened. Suppressing his anger, he looked at Lin Xiao. "You really won't give me a chance?"

Lin Xiao looked at him coldly and said nothing.

Seeing Lin Xiao's reaction, Yu Zishi knew he had no chance. Feeling humiliated, he looked at the ordinary-looking young man sitting close to Lin Xiao, who was wearing designer casual clothes, and let out a sneer. "Heh, I was wondering why you were in such a rush to come out. So it's to accompany other men. You usually act so high and mighty, but it's all for money, isn't it? Tell me, how much for a night?" Anger had caused the young man to lose his reason, and he began to speak without thinking.

Lin Xiao didn't hesitate to splash a cup of drink at him, but Yu Zishi's reaction was surprisingly good; he dodged it with a quick sidestep, continuing to sneer, "What, did I hit a nerve? Are you getting angry out of embarrassment?"

Lin Xiao's chest heaved violently, and her eyes turned slightly red. It was the first time Chen Daolin had seen her look so aggrieved in all the time he had known her. Chen Daolin, who had originally intended to just sit there quietly, stood up and patted Ji Xuan on the shoulder as he did so, knowing that she was also at her limit.

"Want to start a fight? Let me tell you, my brother is a martial artist." Seeing Chen Daolin stand up, Yu Zishi remained unmoved, his face showing no signs of fear.

Chen Daolin looked at him, his calm gaze making Yu Zishi feel immense pressure, as if he were a frog being stared at by a venomous snake; his body stiffened, and cold sweat began to pour down.

"If you don't want to spend the rest of your life in a hospital bed, get lost." Chen Daolin thought for a moment and decided against taking action.

After all, this person was likely a classmate of Lin Xiao's, and if things escalated, it wouldn't be good for her.

Yu Zishi didn't dare to speak, leaving the drink shop filled with a mix of anger and fear, thinking to himself, "Bastard, I'll have my brother find someone to teach you a lesson..."

Snap.

Chen Daolin heard a shrill, miserable scream from Yu Zishi outside. He lowered his head slightly, looked at the calm-faced Ji Xuan, and shook his head.

Forget it, he was just unlucky.