The Imperial Capital in June, at noon.
The sun was already scorching hot this time of year, and the asphalt roads were steaming with distorted heat.
Inside a quiet, modern villa at Imperial Martial University, the air conditioning was blasting.
Wearing a loose white training uniform, Du Qionghua sat cross-legged on the clean floor of the training hall, taking slow and deep breaths.
With each breath, her skin flushed slightly, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her pores, only to be quickly evaporated by the heat of her body.
At the same time, wisps of white vapor, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, penetrating the walls of the villa and flowing in from the outside, before being inhaled by Du Qionghua.
Suddenly, a melodious electronic bell broke the silence of the training hall.
Du Qionghua slowly opened her eyes, emerging from her deep meditative state.
Who's calling at this hour?
She muttered something to herself with some doubt, then walked barefoot on the cool floor toward the vibrating communicator in the corner.
Two words were displayed on the screen: "Dad".
She swiped to answer the call.
"Hello, Dad."
" Qionghua, what are you doing? I hope I'm not bothering you?" Du Chun's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone.
"I just finished practicing," Du Qionghua said, walking to the rest area to pour herself a glass of water. "What brings you here today to call me?"
"Just checking in on my daughter's training progress," Du Chun asked cheerfully. "How's it going? Any progress? Has she reached the professional level yet?"
Du Qionghua took a sip of water and smiled helplessly, "Dad, reaching the professional level isn't something you can just break through on a whim. I feel like I need to hone my skills for a while longer; it can't be rushed."
"No rush, no rush, your speed is already terrifying." Du Chun's tone was full of pride. "Back then, who would have thought that our Qionghua could become a martial artist? Now she's about to break through to the professional level, hahaha!"
Hearing her father's heartfelt joy, Du Qionghua felt a warm glow in her heart.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Du Chun changed the subject and got down to business.
"Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall is planning to open a branch in the Imperial Capital. The location has been chosen, and the Martial Arts Association's paperwork will be completed soon."
Du Qionghua was somewhat surprised. "How could it be so fast? Are the procedures that easy to complete?"
"Have you discussed this with Kefa?"
"Of course, I've been thinking about this for a long time." Du Chun's voice sounded full of enthusiasm. "From now on, we can't call it Martial Arts Hall anymore, we have to call it Zhenyue Group! We can't just stick to our little piece of land in Jiang City."
"Dad, you've expanded your business empire all the way to the Imperial Capital?"
"That's right!" Du Chun cleared his throat and began to lecture on his business acumen. "Let me tell you, when recruiting students, you must highlight Zhenyue's advantages! First, the head of the school, which is your father, is Martial Arts Grandmaster! That gives us a head start over 99% of the Martial Arts Hall!"
"Secondly, we have achievements! Our disciple Wang Jian made it into the top 32 in this Professional League, which is a living advertisement!"
"Third, resources! Not only can you enjoy internal discounts when purchasing cultivation resources in our facility, but more importantly, some items are simply unavailable outside! For example, priority access to the A-grade Rift Stone Spirit Realm and the S-grade Rift Blood Moon Realm, as well as the East Continent Game Pod. Furthermore, there's no limit to the amount of Foundation-Cultivating Fruit you can buy, and you don't even have to queue! Just this one advantage alone is enough to attract countless people to fight tooth and nail for it!"
Du Qionghua listened to her father's analysis point by point, she couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Dad, I heard you planning this all along in Imperial Martial. You really put a lot of thought into it."
"Don't think your dad is just greedy." Du Chun's tone suddenly became more serious on the other end of the phone. "Hmph... if I were really greedy, I wouldn't have compiled and made freely available the instructional videos of my and your Kefa's boxing and sword techniques."
Du Qionghua was taken aback for a moment, then asked curiously, "You're not doing this to make money?"
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
Du Chun's voice carried a hint of resentment. "... Didn't you consider that saying this would hurt Dad's feelings?"
"Haha, sorry, sorry..."
For a moment, the villa was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
After laughing, Du Chun's tone became serious again.
"Actually, our biggest goal in increasing the commercial value of Zhenyue Group is to enable Kefa and Xiao Yan to go further in the martial arts world."
Upon hearing this, Du Qionghua's smile faded slightly, and she listened attentively.
"You're a martial artist too, you should know that the resources required for cultivation become astronomical as you progress..."
Du Chun sighed, "Ever since I broke through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster, some of the resources I need are simply unavailable on the market. Only now do I truly understand how difficult it is to earn money by going on missions in the Rift. Kefa is still at the Grandmaster level; imagine the consumption he'll experience when he reaches the Great Grandmaster level or even higher! Our previous savings simply won't be enough to sustain us."
Du Qionghua nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.
She knew how much money her husband and son spent on their spiritual practice.
Spending money like water is not enough to describe that terrifying rate of consumption.
"So," Du Chun concluded, "We need to take the initiative, expand our business, and improve our cash flow. From now on, we'll be their support. They can just focus on moving forward; we'll take care of the money."
"I understand, Dad," Du Qionghua replied softly.
After chatting for a few more minutes, the father and daughter hung up the phone.
Du Qionghua put down her phone, stood there for a while, and then turned and walked back to the center of the training ground.
She sat down cross-legged again and slowly closed her eyes.
Her father's words made her desire to become stronger even more urgent.
She can't always be protected by her family.
She also wanted to be their support.
After three years of honing her skills, even though she was once told she had no chance in martial arts, she reached the pinnacle of the amateur level thanks to resources and perseverance far exceeding those of ordinary people.
Just one step away from entering a whole new world!
Who would have thought she would end up like this...?
Du Qionghua cleared her mind of distractions and once again immersed herself in the practice of the National Qi Induction Technique.
One breath in, one breath out.
The body's Qi and blood surged continuously as the exercise was performed, cleansing every part of the body again and again.
Inside the villa, the primordial energy of heaven and earth that had been drawn in became even more abundant.
Perhaps it was because of a strong belief in her heart that Du Qionghua felt better than ever before!
She felt the power within her body constantly accumulating and compressing, like a container about to be filled, getting closer and closer to that invisible barrier.
Now!
Just as she was fully focused, preparing to break through that barrier in one fell swoop—
Inside the villa, the natural energy that had been gently flowing into her body suddenly surged violently without warning!
They were no longer gentle streams, but had transformed into a raging torrent, frantically pouring into Du Qionghua's body!
Within the dantian, which was still quietly undergoing transformation, it seemed as if a fierce fire had been added, causing it to surge several times over and its form to become more condensed.
This is a sign that the dantian transformation is nearing completion!
Threads of pure essence emanated from the alchemical fire, nourishing not only the body that had just been cleansed by true qi, but also returning to the dantian, forming a continuous internal cycle.
At this moment, the muscles, bones, and flesh underwent a qualitative change, emitting a subtle buzzing sound like metal clashing against metal, which was clearly audible.
This feeling is especially wonderful!
With just a little effort, Du Qionghua felt her blood and qi flowing through her limbs and bones. In particular, a surge of her own true energy was activated, clinging to her fist, giving her a feeling of invincibility and unstoppable force.
"Professional level!"
Du Qionghua suddenly opened her tightly closed eyes, and a surge of power replaced the previous feeling of constraint.
The blood, flesh, tendons, and bones that flow between them are no longer just blood and qi, but a true qi!
Professional level, actually achieved!
I need to tell my husband and Xiao Yan the good news right away!
Virtual space.
East Continent Game.
" Old Zhang, how many floors have you climbed on that dilapidated tower?"
A burly man, drenched in sweat after finishing a match, was wiping away virtual sweat while yelling at his friend next to him.
The man called Old Zhang proudly raised his chin and held up two fingers.
"Hey, I'm not that great, I just passed the 16th floor yesterday. The system notification says I've surpassed 85% of professional martial artists nationwide!"
"Holy crap! Are you fucking cheating?" The burly man's eyes widened. "How did you break through again? Tell me, what's level 16 like? Share your experience with me!"
"It's no use telling you." Old Zhang chuckled, enjoying his friend's shocked expression. "The first 15 levels of the East Continent Trial Tower are fixed; the patterns are predictable. Just practice more, memorize the formulas, and you'll eventually pass. But from the 16th level onwards, everything changes. The boss and the scene are different every time you go in. It's purely about personal strength and on-the-spot reaction. Memorizing formulas is completely useless!"
The burly man, his face filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, said, "Damn it, the technology of the East Continent Alliance is getting more and more bizarre."
"It updates every few days. This Trial Tower has practically become a new social tool. I've even heard that many martial arts high schools and universities are using it as a final exam criterion."
"That's right," Old Zhang remarked. "These days, when people go on blind dates, the first thing the Matchmaker Company asks is how many floors of the Trial Tower you've reached."
"My son's class ranking improved entirely because of this!"
After exchanging a few casual words, the burly man suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, is the Professional League nearing its finals this year? I've been so focused on climbing the tower lately that I haven't been paying much attention."
Old Zhang looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at a caveman. "Brother, you really are oblivious to everything else, only focused on climbing your tower. The finals are today!"
"Holy crap! Really? Is it too late for me to go in and check now?" The burly man frantically tried to open the live stream.
"Hehe," Old Zhang slowly brought up his screen, which was showing the live stream. "Don't bother, I've been watching for ages. Look, the competition's over, now it's the awards ceremony."
The awards ceremony of the 4th East Continent Professional League.
Under the spotlight, a slender young woman is receiving the golden trophy, symbolizing the highest honor, from the award presenter.
She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with long, snow-white hair that reached her waist, reflecting a silky sheen under the light. Her eyes were an unusual crimson, clear as two fine rubies.
Her features were so exquisite they seemed unreal, and her temperament was aloof and otherworldly, like a snow mountain spirit untouched by worldly concerns.
She is Bai Lingshuang, the sixteen-year-old prodigy who won this year's championship and swept all her opponents with overwhelming force.
With Mystic Ice Jade Body, he is unparalleled in both swordsmanship and agility.
This young girl, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, won over countless fans during the league, and her popularity was unparalleled.
Her victory was almost universally expected.
"Alright, thank you to our award presenters!" The host's enthusiastic voice resonated in the ears of every viewer through the broadcast. "Now, let's hand the microphone over to the new champion! Bai Lingshuang, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?"
The chat in the live stream exploded at that moment.
[Ahhhh! Goddess Lingshuang! Mommy loves you!]
[Baby, you are a sweet, soft, cuddly, and icy snow queen!]
[That was incredible! The final match was practically a tutorial; the opponent was completely outmaneuvered!]
[A Professional League champion at sixteen? What does that even mean? I was still worrying about my final exams when I was sixteen...]
[Tsk tsk tsk, is this popularity real? Could it be paid trolls? It's kind of embarrassing to watch.]
[I think it's just so-so... Are all the people in the East Continent obsessed with white hair?]
[The classic taunting comment is back. Go ahead and post it in the forum comments section if you dare, see if your account is still active.]
[Stop arguing, listen to the goddess!]
Under the spotlight, Bai Lingshuang took the microphone, her red eyes calmly sweeping over the roaring audience below.
Her face showed neither the elation of winning the championship nor the nervousness of facing the spotlight; only a calm demeanor.
Thank you everyone.
She only uttered four words, her voice clear and crisp, like ice cubes colliding.
The host was taken aback, clearly not expecting the champion's acceptance speech to be so concise, and quickly tried to smooth things over:
"Haha, our champion is truly ruthless and doesn't mince words! So, I'd like to ask a question on behalf of all the viewers: now that you've won the Professional League championship, what are your next goals, Lingshuang Shuang?"
This question has piqued the interest of all viewers.
Everyone wanted to know where this genius girl, who had already reached the pinnacle of the younger generation in the East Continent, would go next.
Bai Lingshuang seemed to seriously consider the host's question.
Then, she parted her lips slightly and uttered four words.
" Trial Tower "
The host was taken aback. "Oh? It seems that contestant Lingshuang is also very interested in the Trial Tower. Is she trying to challenge her limits before breaking through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster? Would you mind revealing your target floor? With your strength, I think breaking through the eightyth floor shouldn't be a problem!"
Reaching level 50 automatically grants you qualification to participate in the Professional League.
Eighty floors is a height that only a very few top-tier professional tower-climbing warriors have reached in publicly available records.
However, Bai Lingshuang gently shook her head.
She raised her clear red eyes, looked at the camera, and said, word by word:
"One hundred floors."