Invitation

"Are you investigating me?"

"Investigating? In modern society, information is public. Especially regarding workers on the Abyss Safe Zone front lines, the Federation keeps records of everything."

"I own an exotic beast farm in Star Iron Gorge, and Zhenhai Group is also a supplier of food ingredients for parts of the Abyss Safe Zone. Isn't it normal to understand the situation of one's business partners?"

"Furthermore, your father is a very great man. If I'm not mistaken, he must have been secretly transporting exotic beast meat to you, right? Otherwise, your vitality wouldn't have been able to increase so rapidly."

Without waiting for Li He to respond, Sun Zhenhai continued, "There is a piece of news you might not know yet: three days ago, an Abyss riot occurred in Star Iron Gorge."

Li He's pupils constricted sharply.

A chill surged from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp! Father!

"However..." Sun Zhenhai shifted his tone, "You don't need to be nervous. The Federation reacted very quickly. Before the riot fully erupted, they had already activated emergency protocols and safely evacuated all non-combatant personnel within the safe zone, including your father."

His gaze landed on Li He's face with a hint of profound meaning, "Moreover, our Zhenhai Group immediately dispatched an elite team to assist the Federation in evacuation and material transport efforts. Your father should have already returned safely to your mother's side by now."

Li He felt slightly relieved, but his vigilance did not diminish in the slightest. The other party telling him this news was definitely not just a kind notification.

Sun Zhenhai walked to the bedside and pulled up the blinds.

His gaze was cast toward the edge of the city, toward the vast and dangerous wilderness shrouded outside the faint energy shield.

"An Abyss riot, do you know what the Federation will do?"

He raised his hand and pointed toward the Abyss in the depths of the wilderness.

"Look."

Li He followed his finger and looked out.

He saw a blinding white light suddenly erupt at the end of the distant horizon.

Immediately following it was a massive, billowing mushroom cloud. Even across the vast distance and the city's shield, one could feel the world-destroying power of that violent energy shockwave!

A nuclear bomb!

The Federation had directly used nuclear weapons!

However.

Just as the shockwave from the nuclear explosion was raging and the mushroom cloud had not yet fully dispersed, a colossal fist shadow that pierced through the heavens slammed down from the firmament.

BOOM—!!!

Even from such a great distance, Li He could clearly see the earth cracking and collapsing under the fist shadow, and the mushroom cloud that had just risen was forcibly blasted away by this domineering, peerless punch.

Li He gasped.

The power of that punch falling from the sky was even greater than the nuclear bomb. What kind of terrifying strength was this!

One day...

Li He's breathing became a bit heavier.

"Did you see that?" Sun Zhenhai's voice sounded, "The nuclear blast was to clear out low-level monsters and sources of pollution. And that punch was from a fifth-tier martial artist, a Xiantian Grandmaster, and the guardian deity of this region, Lord Qin Pojun, acting personally to completely flatten the nodes of the Abyss passage and sever the root of the demonic energy."

"Li He, if you also want to obtain such power, then you need resources—massive amounts of resources."

"As long as you demonstrate your potential, Zhenhai Group can give you all of this."

Li He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart.

He had already been considering whether he needed to find a company to affiliate with, to trade his martial prowess for corresponding resources.

Jin Wancai was one of his options, but Sun Zhenhai's Zhenhai Group was undoubtedly superior to Jin Wancai. If the other party's vision could truly be realized, Li He could imagine what kind of resources and attention he could receive.

"How should I demonstrate my potential?" Li He asked, "Just defeating Sun Jiaoyang shouldn't be enough for you, right?"

"Smart."

Sun Zhenhai smiled, the appreciation in his eyes deepening.

"Resources, especially top-tier resources, are always scarce. Zhenhai Group's investments are also phased, seeking controllable risks."

"If you are willing to join me, in the first phase, I will provide you with basic cultivation resources sufficient to support you in stabilizing your current realm and breaking through the second-tier bottleneck. At the same time, I will initiate preliminary packaging for you, creating momentum and paving the way for your image as a genius who defies the odds."

"And if you want to obtain the next phase of resources, you must take first place in the upcoming United Martial Arts Tournament."

Li He understood.

Everything Sun Zhenhai had said just now was a vision for the future, nothing more than a castle in the air. What he was talking about now was the plan that would actually be implemented.

First place in the United Martial Arts Tournament!

This was not easy.

Every martial arts gym had its own geniuses and prodigies, and there would also be veteran disciples like Yuan Lingling who had registered their identities while right at the age limit.

Moreover, although Sun Jiaoyang was severely injured, the Sun family had abundant resources. He would inevitably recover before the tournament, be reborn from the ashes, and further his strength to settle the score with him once more.

Not to mention, there might be opponents at the tournament even more formidable than Sun Jiaoyang.

First place?

Easier said than done!

"The October Martial Arts Hall newcomer tournament is a vital stage for the Federation's major martial arts halls to showcase their strength and compete for resources; it commands immense attention," Sun Zhenhai said.

"I will utilize all of Zhenhai Group's promotional channels to build hype for you before the tournament, packaging you as the beginning of a legend, a rising star who rose from the bottom to break the shackles of innate talent."

"Therefore, you have no retreat. You must win."

"Only by using absolute strength to take first place in the tournament can you prove that your potential is worthy of my investment and the star-studded path I have paved for you."

"Otherwise..."

Sun Zhenhai smiled slightly.

"All the packaging will become a joke, and all the investment will go down the drain. And you, too, will fall from a star of great expectations into the dust, becoming a laughingstock who overestimated your own abilities."

"This is the condition I offer, the pressure I give you, and the way for you to cash in on your potential."

"Tell me, Li He, are you willing to join my Zhenhai Group and accept this task?"

Outside the window, the lingering energy from the nuclear explosions and fist shadows on the distant horizon had long since dissipated, but in Li He's heart, a flame even more intense seemed to be burning fiercely.

"I can, but I have an additional condition."

"Speak."

Sun Zhenhai left, satisfied, holding the contract.

Li He also walked out of the hospital; his medical expenses were fully covered by the martial arts hall, and he could leave whenever he wished.

The sun was setting.

He walked toward the road home.

Inside his backpack were many new items, including employment contracts for his parents located in the city center, offering good benefits, high wages, and convenient commutes.

There were also three secret manuals: Rock Body Forging Technique, Buddha Vajra Body, and Furnace Hundred Forms Art.

All three secret manuals were hard-style martial arts.

In his battle against Sun Jiaoyang, Li He had tasted the full benefits of hard-style techniques, making him particularly eager to cultivate them.

Beyond that, Sun Zhenhai had also given him a resource card specifically for exchanging the cultivation resources required for these three manuals, and a portion of expensive Exotic Beast Meat would be delivered to his home daily to assist his training.

The days ahead would be very fulfilling.

Li He glanced at the sky and quietly quickened his pace; soon, the familiar alley entrance appeared before him.

The air was filled with the faint aroma of food, mixed with the playful sounds of children, full of the atmosphere of daily life.

He walked to his front door, just about to push it open.

A burst of deliberately lowered, yet still clear, laughter drifted out from the door crack.

It was his father, Li Jianguo, who had returned and was playfully teasing his mother, Zhang Xiujuan.

Li He's outstretched hand paused in mid-air, feeling both helpless and amused.

In this era, thanks to advanced biotechnology and the widespread practice of martial arts, the average human lifespan has been greatly extended; people in their forties or fifties appear as vibrant as those in their thirties from the old era.

His father had been working hard outside for years, possessing a robust body and a resolute face, while his mother managed the household and maintained herself well; the two of them stood together as a truly young and well-matched couple, and their relationship had always been excellent.

He waited for a moment, letting the laughter subside, before clearing his throat and raising his hand to knock on the door.