Cultivation

In the blink of an eye, a month quietly passed.

During this time.

Zhou Hao was practically dragged by Zhou Ying'er to train at the Limitless Gym every day, performing basic Stake Standing movements. As for food, the various dishes he loved gradually turned into unpalatable Gene Meat.

At night.

Zhou Ying'er still supervised Zhou Hao as he squatted, lay down, and jumped in the second-floor audiovisual room.

"Zhou Hao, I have to head to the Wilderness Zone tomorrow, so I won't be able to supervise you anymore. But you're not allowed to slack off. If I find out, your dream of going to the Limit Martial Hall headquarters will go up in smoke!"

At noon that day, Zhou Ying'er rarely cooked in person, making a tableful of sumptuous dishes. As she carried them to the table, she glared fiercely at Zhou Hao in warning.

"Me, slack off?" Zhou Hao raised his voice, his face full of disdain. "Those little movements? I can finish them in minutes without even breaking a sweat. Sis, dare you increase the difficulty a little?!"

Zhou Ying'er's pretty face darkened. With a smack, she flicked Zhou Hao on the forehead. "Quit showing off. They're only basic Stake Standing exercises, and look how impatient you are. You have to eat one bite at a time, and training has to be done step by step. Don't rush it."

"Back then, your sister repeated basic training movements alone for five or six years!"

Zhou Hao crossed one leg over the other, reclined on the sofa with his hands behind his head, and said seriously, "Sis, you have to admit one fact."

"What fact?" Zhou Ying'er served three bowls of rice and set them down.

"Back then, even ten of you put together couldn't compare to me, so don't use your old methods on me. Hurry up—if there are any more difficult training methods, bring them on!" Zhou Hao pointed at himself. "Don't worry, I can handle it!"

Zhou Ying'er's face darkened even further. She glared at Zhou Hao and nodded. "Indeed. When it comes to bragging, let alone your sister back then, even ten of me now wouldn't compare to you."

Wang Rong walked over at that moment. Hearing the siblings bicker, she laughed. "All right, you two, stop arguing and eat. And Zhou Hao, your sister is a Martial Artist after all. She has plenty of experience in training. Don't be arrogant or complacent. Learn to be humble."

"Got it, Mom." Zhou Hao put on an obedient look.

Zhou Ying'er rolled her eyes speechlessly.

A little after three in the afternoon.

Cheng Jin arrived again, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Over the past month, he had never missed a day. Aside from accompanying Zhou Ying'er as she trained on the Sixth Floor of the Limitless Gym, he often made time to go grocery shopping with Wang Rong. The entire Mingyue Residential Area now knew that a young heir from a conglomerate named Cheng Jin was pursuing Zhou Ying'er.

As a result, quite a few neighbors had joined the ranks of those urging Zhou Ying'er to give him some consideration.

Taking the flowers, Zhou Ying'er casually tossed them aside and said calmly, "Cheng Jin, I'll say it again: we're not suitable for each other. Tomorrow, please don't have the Sabertooth Tiger Squad follow us anymore."

Cheng Jin did not care in the slightest. "I'll keep trying until you agree. As for the Sabertooth Tiger Squad, my family has cut back a lot of the resources I can mobilize, so they won't be following you anymore."

"The Rat Tide will enter its peak season in another two months. Be careful when you enter the Wilderness Zone."

Having said that.

He turned and left.

"Wait!" Zhou Ying'er called out, quickly walking over.

Cheng Jin smiled. "Ying'er, have you changed your mind?"

Zhou Ying'er shook her head and said softly, "Cheng Jin, there are many girls more outstanding than me. There's really no need for you to waste your time on me. My goal in this life is to become a War God and kill as many monsters as possible!"

"You've been more persistent than I expected, but... I'm sorry, I won't consider matters of that kind."

Cheng Jin's expression changed. It was the first time he had heard Zhou Ying'er speak of her goal.

He quickly composed himself. "Ying'er, with your potential and talent, becoming a War God is very difficult. If you receive support from the Cheng Family's resources, you'll still have a sliver of a chance. So your goal doesn't conflict with what's between us!"

A trace of bitterness appeared at the corner of Zhou Ying'er's lips. "Cheng Jin, you still don't understand what I mean. Forget it. I've said all that needs to be said."

Watching Zhou Ying'er's retreating figure.

Cheng Jin furrowed his brows tightly.

Kyoto Base City, the Cheng Family mansion's main hall.

A tall woman with ordinary features listened to Cheng Jin's account and said flatly, "So this is why that Zhou Ying'er rejected your pursuit for months?"

Cheng Jin looked somewhat dejected. "Cousin, where exactly did I go wrong?"

Cheng Shuli sneered. "You were wrong from beginning to end."

"What do you mean?" Cheng Jin looked at his cousin in confusion.

Cheng Shuli did not answer right away. Instead, she asked, "Cheng Jin, tell your cousin honestly. Do you truly like this Zhou Ying'er, or do you merely want to satisfy that sense of accomplishment from winning her over?"

Cheng Jin frowned. "No one can escape the palm of my hand."

"Very good!" Cheng Shuli snapped her fingers, rose to her feet, and smiled. "Since it's the latter, things are simple. To deal with a girl like Zhou Ying'er, you must first conquer her!"

Cheng Jin curled his lips. "Cousin, it's not just her body that I want."

Cheng Shuli said calmly, "Of course I understand. But if you want to conquer a girl like Zhou Ying'er, one with such a resolute will, you still have to start by breaking through physically. As for how to obtain her body, you'll need to use some methods. For example, when you're alone in a room with her in a desperate situation..."

Cheng Jin's eyes lit up. "You mean in the Wilderness Zone?"

"Yes. In desperate circumstances, any girl's psychological defenses are extremely fragile. Under such conditions, if you obtain her body, she won't be too furious with you, and you'll leave a deep impression on her. Then it'll be much easier to continue with your usual approach!" Cheng Shuli's expression was brimming with confidence.

"Cousin, you have to help me!" Cheng Jin hurriedly said.

Cheng Shuli nodded. "Sure. I just returned from the training camp and have half a month of vacation, so I'll help you out while I'm at it."

The next day.

At first light, Zhou Ying'er left home fully armed. As she reached the door, she looked toward Zhou Hao's window and called out, "Zhou Hao, don't forget to train."

"Sis, you're way too naggy!" a voice answered.

Zhou Ying'er smiled and slowly left the villa.

Whoosh.

Zhou Hao blinked and appeared on the second-floor balcony. Looking at Zhou Ying'er's back, he could not help stretching lazily. "She's finally gone. Now I finally have time to check in at the Limit Martial Hall headquarters!"

Zhou Ying'er had spent the entire month cultivating his training, supervising him every step of the way.

Only when he slept could he spare any time.

However, a round trip to Hongning Base City took more than three hours. If Zhou Ying'er checked on him and caught him gone, it would be difficult to explain.

Of course, the main reason was that Zhou Hao had actually been hesitating over whether to go to the Limit Martial Hall headquarters or another ancient civilization base.

After breakfast.

Zhou Hao first went to the Limitless Gym and stayed for half an hour. Only then did he conceal his figure and aura before arriving at the base city's airport.

For travel between base cities, aside from saucer-shaped fighter jets and Smart Fighter Jets, the only option was a Giant Flying Saucer Passenger Plane at the airport. A standard ticket for this large passenger plane cost ten million Chinese Dollars, while a First Class Cabin ticket cost twenty million Chinese Dollars.

Zhou Hao possessed the Zhou Tian Star Concealment Technique, so he could go wherever he wanted. The reason he had brought it up to Zhou Ying'er before was merely to give her some motivation.

The standard cabin was extremely crowded.

Naturally, he went to the First Class Cabin. Most people who could afford it were Warrior-level Martial Artists, though there were also some wealthy conglomerate tycoons.

Boom.

After waiting for a while, the passenger plane took off.

The people inside did not feel the slightest vibration. Moreover, this type of passenger plane had extremely strong defenses and could easily kill flying Lord-level Monsters.

After an hour and twenty minutes of flight.

The passenger plane arrived at Hongning Base City.