Villa

However, she did not show it, merely continuing to practice, over and over again.

"Hah!"

Xu Ziming let out a long breath; he had just consumed his final E-grade Blood Qi Potion.

As the sound of permanent solidification echoed, he began his practice of the Basic Body Forging Method.

Currently, the Basic Body Forging Method had reached the Minor Accomplishment stage, and barring any accidents, he would certainly reach the Great Accomplishment stage before the college entrance exam.

He just didn't know when he would reach the Major Accomplishment stage; ideally, it would be before the second mock exam.

That would increase his win rate for the second mock exam by a fair margin.

He practiced for the entire night, and only when the morning sun pierced through the window and illuminated his room did Xu Ziming finally stop his training.

He had a major task to attend to today: selecting a villa.

The appointment was originally set for last night, but for some reason, it had been delayed. Regardless, Master Fang had sent over the locations of several currently vacant villas in the center of Pengcheng City this morning.

It was roughly six in the morning now; if nothing went wrong, Mother Xu should be making breakfast, and his younger sister was likely still lingering in bed.

He pushed the door open and stepped out. Just as he had imagined, his mother was moving about the kitchen in her apron, a spoon in her hand.

Seeing Xu Ziming walk out, her expression was somewhat dazed, as in her memory, Xu Ziming hadn't returned home last night.

"Mom, I signed a contract with a martial hall. I earned 10 million in just one day yesterday. I'll take you to the city center in a bit to pick out a villa."

"What!?" Mother Xu couldn't believe her ears. "You haven't been scammed by someone, have you?"

As she finished speaking, waves of worry appeared on her face.

As a mother, hearing that her child had suddenly come into so much money, it was impossible not to be concerned.

"No, it's Master Fang from the Nebula Martial Hall. Didn't I defeat an alien of the Martial Artist realm all by myself a few days ago? He took a liking to my aptitude and decided to sign a contract with me."

"Nebula Martial Hall..." As a resident of Pengcheng City, it was impossible for Mother Xu not to know of this martial hall. Hearing the name, she felt much calmer, though she still harbored some reservations.

"Don't worry, there are no predatory clauses. Teacher Ma helped me look it over as well."

Xu Ziming waved his hand dismissively before running into the kitchen.

"What delicious food are you making this morning?"

"You child... forget it, forget it. Just use the money you earned to buy cultivation resources. Why waste it on a villa? This home is enough for the three of us."

Mother Xu knew that Xu Ziming was intentionally trying to distract her.

"The villa is also written into the contract; it doesn't cost any extra money."

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. For some reason, the corners of Mother Xu's eyes suddenly turned red, and it seemed as though beads of moisture were swirling within them.

She didn't say a word, merely continuing to chop something with a kitchen knife over and over again.

Xu Ziming remained silent as well, walking to the washroom to freshen up.

When he came out, the fragrance of a meal was already wafting through the old house where Xu Ziming had lived for eighteen years.

Although old, it was kept spotlessly clean, with every item arranged neatly and orderly, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

"Big brother, you're awake!" Xu Zhiyao walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes as she ran up to Xu Ziming.

"Go wash up quickly, then come eat," Xu Ziming said with a smile, reaching out to pinch his sister's cheek.

"Ouch, stop pinching me."

After finishing the meal, they had a rare moment of leisure. Xu Ziming dropped Xu Zhiyao off at school on his way before taking his mother to the city center.

Although she had claimed to be reluctant, Mother Xu had still dressed up quite nicely before they left, even pulling out clothes from the closet that she hadn't worn in a long time.

"I haven't dressed like this in ages. I don't look ugly, do I, A-Ming?"

"Mom, with a son as handsome as me, how could you possibly look ugly?"

Xu Ziming walked in front, having shed his usual caution in front of his family.

"You brat, you just have a glib tongue."

Hearing these words, Mother Xu's lips curled upward, and she began to chide Xu Ziming instead.

Before they knew it, the two of them had arrived at the location to select the villa.

The malicious, condescending sales clerk tropes from television dramas did not occur.

Because the moment Xu Ziming walked in, the large screen displayed his status as an S-rank member of the Nebula Martial Way.

In an instant, every sales clerk in the service hall was eager to rush over.

Although the villa wouldn't be paid for on the spot, the Nebula Martial Hall would certainly pay for it later, and the commission for selling a villa was quite substantial.

As the sales clerk presented all the available villas, after some discussion between Xu Ziming and his mother, the two chose one located near the Nebula Martial Hall.

On one hand, it would be beneficial for Xu Ziming's future cultivation, and on the other, it was for Xu Zhiyao's future high school education.

Next to the Nebula Martial Hall was the Pengcheng No. 1 Martial Arts High School; if possible, Xu Ziming still hoped she could attend school there.

Whether in liberal arts or martial arts, Pengcheng First Martial Arts High School is the absolute number one.

"Two customers, please wait a moment. We provide free moving services. Would you like to use them?"

"Fine, just follow me."

Xu Ziming nodded, having no objections; there was no reason not to use a free service.

"Since there's a moving company, A-Ming, you go ahead and train. I'll handle these trivial matters."

Mother Xu said cheerfully.

"Right, and when you get a chance, tell Dad he doesn't need to work on the front lines anymore. He can come home."

"Okay."

Up to this point, the first wish he had after obtaining the Equipment Slot had finally made progress: letting his family live a better life.

Next was the second: stepping onto the Peak of Martial Way!

This path was clearly much more arduous than the first, but even so, Xu Ziming was determined to give it a try.

After all, with the help of the Equipment Slot, wouldn't he be a complete failure if he couldn't even achieve that?

Arriving at Nebula Martial Hall, Xu Ziming immediately began practicing the Five Prison Sword Art.

He could now use Dragon Trap stably, so it was time to study the other sword techniques.

The second form of the sword art was no longer a means of control, but a true killing technique filled with the aura of slaughter.

To even execute this move, one had to master the sword intent inherent to the Five Prison Sword Art: Prison-Suppressing Sword Intent.

Just as the name suggested, this sword intent carried a solemn and murderous momentum. Once mastered, if facing an opponent of the same realm, one could suppress them with willpower alone, without even drawing a sword.

However, it was equally difficult to cultivate; at least for the current stage, Xu Ziming was completely clueless.

I really don't know how Teacher Ma managed to cultivate this.

He swung his sword continuously, practicing slowly.

He had already practiced the Five Prison Sword Art eight times in succession; perhaps after two more times, he would trigger an Epiphany and find some hope.

Time flies when one is immersed in cultivation, and before he knew it, Xu Ziming had reached his tenth session.