The next day was Wednesday. Wang Ji skipped all his classes and went straight to the basement of his villa, putting on the Virtual Consciousness Helmet. The villa's basement was built entirely from high-grade alloy, making it a fairly safe place.
"Beep! Trainee Wang Ji, please confirm whether the following information is correct."
"Correct!"
"Beep. You may now enter the War God Palace!"
Wang Ji's consciousness, dressed in white robes, instantly appeared in a room. It covered more than a thousand square meters and had everything one could need: a bed, a swimming pool, a desk and chairs, a lavish dining table, reclining chairs, and a training area with yoga mats. The enormous, open room was neatly divided into many different sections.
"Welcome, Mr. Wang Ji," an electronic voice suddenly announced. "Because you entered with special authorization, your white robe will bear a special mark." As it spoke, an embroidered badge the size of a palm suddenly appeared on Wang Ji's chest. It read "Special Observer."
"This is your private room in the War God Palace. No one but you can enter." The electronic voice echoed through the room. "There is a book on your desk, titled War God Palace Regulations. Please take a look." The voice fell silent.
Wang Ji gazed out the window. Beyond it stretched an endless expanse, shrouded in clouds and mist. Sunlight streamed down from high above, refracting into brilliant colors. The sight was breathtaking. Though this was a virtual space, the complete realism made it feel exactly like the real world, leaving him amazed.
Wang Ji opened the door. Beyond it lay an enormous hall covering tens of thousands of square meters, with a ceiling thirty meters high. At the far end, more than fifty imposing seats were arranged in an arc atop a raised platform.
Below the platform, thousands of sofa-style seats were scattered in uneven rows. Half of them were already occupied. People chatted animatedly, some holding glasses of red wine, others carrying War Blades. All wore white robes.
"Whoosh!" Forty-two figures in golden robes appeared on the platform. The person seated in the very center was surrounded by swirling light, his features impossible to make out. When Wang Ji looked at him, it felt as if he were gazing up at a god. The space around him seemed to belong entirely to him, emphasizing his presence.
Wang Ji knew this was Hong.
Beside him was a bald man. That had to be Thor.
"Today, we'll hold our fifth discussion of 36-Fold Waves. Before the discussion, we received 322 submissions on insights and research into 36-Fold Waves. We've selected six to present today. I hope they'll inspire everyone. That's this morning's agenda. This afternoon, as usual, will be set aside for open discussion and exchange."
"I hope we can quickly identify the correct path for developing force amplitudes. That will help us correct the flaws in our past manuals and ensure that Earth's martial arts continue to progress in a healthy, sustainable way."
"Now, let's welcome our first presenter, Inspector Ford of Thunderbolt Martial Hall. He reorganized his force application based on 36-Fold Waves, and has reached an amplitude of 6.2 times across the board—in speed, strength, defense, and all other areas. He'll share his experience and insights with us..."
"Wow... Impressive!"
"Councilman Ford really is fast!"
"Quiet down! Let's listen..."
Wang Ji's seat was toward the back. But in this virtual space, every seat felt close to the stage, and the sound was equally clear from anywhere. Like a sponge, Wang Ji eagerly absorbed every insight and experience. The presenters were all pioneers in the field. Even if some of their views were still flawed, their understanding was undeniably top-tier!
Wang Ji was utterly absorbed. Countless inspirations surged through his mind every moment. He couldn't even take the time to reflect on them, so he simply etched each unprocessed insight into his Iron Will before continuing to listen and absorb.
"Hm? That's it?" Wang Ji suddenly snapped back to his senses and realized that all six presentations were over.
Thunderous applause filled the hall. Everyone felt they had gained a great deal. After a while, just as everyone assumed the morning session was over, Hong suddenly pressed his hand down. The applause stopped at once. In a low, unhurried voice, he said, "Now, I'd like to invite a special presenter to share his insights with us. His name is Wang Ji, the one who unearthed 36-Fold Waves."
The hall erupted into chatter. Some people had known all along that the manual had been discovered by Wang Ji, an unknown young man. But many had assumed it had been found by the Chinese military. Only now did they realize that it was this young man.
A beam of light suddenly fell on Wang Ji. He was just as surprised, but then he had no choice but to step up to the stage.
"I believe..."
Wang Ji shared his own insights. Some people asked questions along the way, but his views always made them think.
"Not bad. His understanding of force application is still rather immature, but his approach is excellent!"
"That's right! He's headed in the right direction. His thinking seems clearer than Inspector Ford's!"
After Wang Ji finished, people began discussing his presentation. A smattering of applause broke out, then swelled into a wave of enthusiastic clapping that continued for quite a while.
Wang Ji saw Hong give what seemed to be an approving nod. When he looked again, it was as if nothing had happened. Maybe he'd imagined it.
"Ding! You have received 100,000 Limit Martial Hall contribution points. Your contribution rating has risen to three stars."
"Huh?" Wang Ji was surprised. He asked the virtual assistant, "Where did these contribution points come from?"
The virtual assistant replied, "Everyone who gives a presentation receives contribution points."
"Does everyone get 100,000?"
"Yes."
"Okay! To the big shots, 100,000 points might be nothing. The main benefit is increased recognition and potential influence. But to me, that's no small amount! At the very least, it's worth a billion yuan!" said Wang Ji.
During the open discussion and exchange that afternoon, the War Gods no longer underestimated Wang Ji. Quite a few of them had lively discussions with him.
A day later, Wang Ji took off his helmet in the training room in the basement, his excitement beyond words. He had no desire to sleep. Instead, he immediately began practicing.
"Hahaha... So that's how it works! That's how the third level works!" Wang Ji's force application broke through 2 in an instant, reaching 2.4.
No, that wasn't right!
Wang Ji immersed himself in his sea of consciousness, repeatedly studying the inspirations he had recorded and comparing them with his own insights. He was completely absorbed, almost feverish.
In the outside world, Wang Ji had "disappeared"!
Shi Jiang and Zhao Ruo couldn't find him. Even when they knocked on his door, he didn't answer. He was nowhere to be seen in class, at the Training Ground, or in the dining hall! They couldn't find him even during the periods when he was supposed to go out and kill monsters for points!
If Wang Ji's name hadn't still been on the Black Dragon's scales, they would have thought he'd died out there.
Where was Wang Ji?
Before you continue