The entire third floor of the Gravity Tower erupted into a frenzy.
Everyone's gaze fell on Su Muyun.
Even Old Man Black, standing outside the Gravity Tower, wore a surprised smile.
"That Su girl from the Su Family really is a prodigy with extraordinary talent!"
"She's only just started her first year, and she's already advanced to the Fourth Realm."
"The Fourth Realm of swordsmanship: Sword Oblivion!"
"Forget its form and grasp its spirit!"
Old Man Black sighed with deep emotion, as if recalling something from long ago.
On the third floor of the Gravity Tower.
The third- and fourth-year students chattered among themselves.
"That girl—isn't she our school's newly crowned beauty, Su Muyun?"
"I heard she's an SSS-Grade profession, with exceptional talent and tremendous strength!"
"I knew she was impressive, but I never imagined her talent would be so monstrous!"
"How many days has it been since the semester started? She's already reached the Fourth Realm in her profession."
"At this rate, she must be the fastest student in our school's history!"
"There have been plenty of SSS-Grade students over the years, but none like her. She stepped into the Gravity Tower and immediately trained in the twenty-times-gravity zone, then reached the Fourth Realm on the third day of the semester—and she's a girl, too. That's truly one of a kind!"
"Her sword intent is incredible! At her age, she's already cultivated a sword intent of her own!"
"Maybe she'll become the youngest Transcendentalist in history!"
"I think so, too."
"..."
These third- and fourth-year students.
Most of them were in the Elite Class or the Genius Class.
And among them, the Elite Class students ranked near the top of their class in strength.
They had studied and trained for years.
That was why they could make such a judgment about Su Muyun.
By now, Ye Xiao could feel the terrifying sword intent radiating from Su Muyun!
"Is this how terrifying the SSS-Grade Azure Phoenix Sword Radiance is?"
For the first time, Ye Xiao felt the gap between professions—a chasm as vast as the heavens.
Su Muyun had finished breaking through.
She slowly opened her beautiful eyes, and the Sword God Three-Petal Red Mark between her brows gradually faded.
Then Su Muyun rose to her feet as if nothing had happened.
Ye Xiao stood before her, drenched in sweat and bent nearly double as he stubbornly endured the twenty-times gravity.
The contrast between them was stark.
Su Muyun looked at Ye Xiao, her eyes calm as a still lake.
"Ye Xiao, what are you doing here?"
The question left Ye Xiao at a loss for words.
Su Muyun looked him over.
"You need to take training one step at a time and know your limits."
"You're clearly not suited to training in the twenty-times-gravity zone yet."
With that, Su Muyun said goodbye. "I'm done training for today. I'll head back first."
Just as she was about to leave, Ye Xiao asked, "Su Muyun, are you in a bad mood today?"
"I'm fine," Su Muyun replied coldly.
Ye Xiao pressed on. "Did something happen? If you need help, I can help you."
At last, Su Muyun's expression shifted slightly.
She turned back and shook her head at Ye Xiao.
"You'll help me? Forget it. You should take care of yourself first."
This time, Su Muyun left for good.
Ye Xiao watched her walk away.
He could tell that Su Muyun's attitude toward him had changed drastically.
But the change hadn't come out of nowhere.
Ye Xiao decided to ask Old Man Black about it after finishing his training.
Then.
Ye Xiao didn't force himself to train in the twenty-times-gravity zone.
Instead, he backed off a little.
He practiced his punches in the fifteen-times-gravity zone to let his body adapt.
After an hour, he gradually increased the intensity and moved on to the sixteen-times-gravity zone.
Following this routine.
Ye Xiao found his rhythm again, like he had on the second floor of the Gravity Tower.
The Gravity Tower wasn't open around the clock.
At eleven p.m.
The Gravity Tower closed.
Old Man Black personally drove out every student who hadn't left yet.
This was his way of reminding the students that training was important, but so was rest.
[ Ding! ]
[ You completed a punch. Punch strength: 31%! ]
[ You gained 17 Martial Value! ]
[ Your realm has advanced! ]
[ Current realm: Mud Embryo Realm · 2798th Tempering! ]
[ Current realm: Mud Embryo Realm · 2799th Tempering! ]
[...]
[ Current realm: Mud Embryo Realm · 2800th Tempering! ]
Just as Ye Xiao pulled his fist back.
Old Man Black came to the third floor of the Gravity Tower.
He walked over to Ye Xiao.
Then he said, "The Gravity Tower closes at eleven tonight."
"Kid, that's enough training for today. Go back and get some rest."
Only then did Ye Xiao realize there were no other students on this floor.
"Sure!" Ye Xiao said as he gathered his things. "Old Man Black, I'll head back to my dorm and rest as soon as I'm packed."
After he finished packing.
Ye Xiao suddenly remembered Su Muyun.
So he asked.
"Old Man Black, do you know why Su Muyun was in a bad mood today?"
Old Man Black gave Ye Xiao a knowing look.
"Are you pining after your little wife?"
Ye Xiao's face darkened.
"Old Man Black, don't make things up!"
"There's nothing going on between Su Muyun and me!"
"I suspect she's angry because people outside have been spreading too many rumors about us."
"That's why she's so cold toward me."
Old Man Black watched Ye Xiao grumble.
A knowing look crossed his face.
"I know why that Su girl was in a bad mood."
"Why?"
"She had a fight with her family."
"Uh, what does her fighting with her family have to do with her being cold toward me?"
"Because you two were betrothed when you were little."
Ye Xiao: "!!!"
The bombshell landed.
It was like a bomb had been thrown into a calm lake.
The blast was catastrophic!
"What?" Ye Xiao's eyes widened. There was nothing about this in his predecessor's memories. "Old Man Black, you're not joking, are you?"
Old Man Black replied crossly, "Do you think I'm always an old rascal?"
Ye Xiao nodded repeatedly to himself. Old Man Black, you know you're an old rascal, too!
Old Man Black went on. "When your father was still alive, he was close with a young man from the Su Family. They were comrades who'd faced life and death together, so they arranged a betrothal."
"But you hadn't been born yet, so of course you didn't know about it."
"I just didn't expect that old story from twenty years ago would finally come up again."
Ye Xiao took a deep breath.
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
"So, how did the discussion go?"
Old Man Black shook his head.
"Judging by that Su girl's expression, it definitely didn't go well!"
"I'd guess some people in the Su Family want to uphold the betrothal, while others oppose it."
Ye Xiao fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Old Man Black, I understand why someone would oppose the betrothal. I'm just an E-Grade Martialist, and I'm no match for an SSS-Grade Azure Phoenix Sword God."
"But I don't understand who would insist on the betrothal—and why."
Before you continue