Welcome to the City of Ten Thousand Rivers!

Wu Yu used an old-fashioned Communication Watch. It had few flashy features, and its appearance was quite ordinary.

But it was cheap and had all the functions he needed.

He sat up and gently pressed his Wristwatch.

A virtual screen rose, streams of data flickering across it. Before long, an image appeared.

On the other end was an office, where a young man in glasses and a white shirt was writing something.

"Where's Manager Lin?"

Wu Yu asked.

The incoming call was from the account "Lin Shouyuan," who was also Wu Yu's investor.

"Manager Lin is busy."

The young man looked up and asked, "Are you No. 427, Mr. Wu Yu?"

"Yes."

Wu Yu nodded.

"Right, our records show that twenty million has already been transferred out of the bank card provided to you. Please give us the details of your purchase."

Pen in hand, the young man looked at him.

Wu Yu considered briefly, then said, "The Black Crow Merchant Guild. An external metal-attribute heavenly spirit root, with a Mobius T2 Life Headband included as a gift."

"Thank you for your cooperation. The data has been uploaded."

The young man wrote a few things down and nodded. "Under the investment agreement, the next installment consists of a cultivation technique and resources: one top-tier Qi Refining Stage technique and one hundred spirit stones."

"They should arrive at River City Advanced Academy within six hours."

"Thank you."

Wu Yu nodded.

The young man hesitated, then said, "As stipulated in the agreement, I need to explain something. You qualified for the highest-tier investment agreement, so its requirements are also the strictest."

"Starting tomorrow, you must complete essence-to-qi refinement, reach transcendence, and become a Qi Refining Stage cultivator within one hundred days."

"Once you reach the Qi Refining Stage, your Spirit Power will be tested for purity! Ascension Elixirs and similar external aids are prohibited."

"Spirit stones and pills may be used normally, but you must not damage your foundation."

"No problem!"

Wu Yu nodded with a smile.

He might have been nervous before, but now he had no such worries.

Through "essence-to-qi refinement," cultivators opened the transcendent gate and became Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

The key lay in their spirit roots and resources!

The better the spirit root and the more resources available, the faster essence-to-qi refinement would proceed.

But in this insane era, beautiful roses came with poisonous thorns.

Cybernetic technologies such as [Ascension Elixirs], [Spirit-Energy Chips], and [Superpowered Dantians] often had unknown consequences.

A large proportion of the "Cyber-Transcendent Syndrome" cases commonly reported in River City involved martial artists who had undergone grotesque mutations and cultivators who had succumbed to madness.

That was also why Wu Yu had not recklessly used his Headband or External Spirit Root!

"By the way, I'd like to request an inspection of my Headband and External Spirit Root!"

Wu Yu said.

"Certainly. We'll add testing equipment to the drone."

The young man nodded and wrote a few more lines.

"That concludes this call. May fortune bless your path to immortality."

As his voice faded, the virtual screen went dark.

Wu Yu ended the call, got up, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

While brushing his teeth, Wu Yu studied the "burly man" in the mirror.

This look won't do. Being this jacked makes me stand out too much.

I remember...

After brushing his teeth, Wu Yu thought back for a moment.

During a Martial Dao class, a teacher had once said:

How could transcendent blood and qi be anything inconvenient?

After passing through the five stages of skin refinement, flesh refinement, bone refinement, blood refinement, and organ refinement, every inch of a Transcendent Martial Artist's flesh transcended the ordinary and possessed incredible power.

He put the thought into action!

The next moment, a Tiger-Leopard Thunderclap exploded through the air!

Wu Yu's muscles and bones resonated together. His muscles shrank, his skeleton contracted, and his aura instantly withdrew.

When he looked in the mirror again, the person reflected there had returned to his previous, ordinary appearance.

Only his complexion looked healthier, and his immense strength had brought a tremendous change to his bearing.

"Excellent!"

Wu Yu smiled, then turned to take a shower and changed into casual clothes.

As he stepped outside, his neighbor's door happened to open too, and a teenager with disheveled hair emerged.

Seeing Wu Yu, he greeted him.

"Wu, heading to school?"

"Yeah. Going to work?"

Wu Yu nodded.

"Yeah. I really envy you, getting into a higher academy."

Envy showed on the teenager's face as he strode downstairs.

Wu Yu smiled without replying.

After going downstairs, the two reached the entrance to the residential complex. Outside lay an old, run-down street.

A moment later, a black hovercar swept through the air and stopped sharply at the entrance.

Bang!

The car door opened. No one was inside.

"You're really loaded, calling a driverless flying car just to get around."

The teenager with the bird's-nest hair glanced at his worn shoes, then turned away with a jealous look.

Wu Yu got into the car, and an electronic voice sounded from up front.

"Scan successful! Welcome, valued monthly subscriber!"

"Tianpeng 712 at your service. Thank you for choosing Tianpeng Service."

Bang!

After closing the door, Wu Yu said, "River City Advanced Academy, North District gate."

"Certainly! Connected to the River City Transit Network."

"Please remain seated and refrain from using transcendent powers inside the vehicle, or Tianpeng Corporation will hold you liable..."

The hovercar slowly started moving and headed down the street.

Watching the shifting light and shadows outside the window, Wu Yu casually pressed a button.

With a hiss, a small refrigerator opened, revealing an assortment of drinks.

Wu Yu grabbed a can, opened it, and took a sip. The icy, sweet drink refreshed him, instantly putting him at ease.

As it reached the main road, the hovercar picked up speed.

The scenery outside gradually blurred. People, houses, cats, and dogs flashed past as distorted streaks of light and shadow.

Music began playing inside the car, an unfamiliar foreign song.

Wu Yu half-closed his eyes and sipped his cold drink, looking through his Inventory out of boredom.

I wonder how long it'll be before I can enter the Mysterious Tower again.

Three days, a week, a month?

The videos I watched before showed both ordinary people and transcendent beings. Tower Climbers are probably divided according to strength too! When those transcendent beings enter the Great Ruins, do they also get perks like the [Newcomer Secret Realm]?

His thoughts gradually wandered.

Wu Yu's gaze shifted, and he suddenly noticed something wrong with a small pebble.

The [Bi Fang Sigil] on it had faded considerably!

"Hm?"

He immediately took it out and held it in his palm.

On closer inspection, only about half of the [Bi Fang Sigil] within remained.

I haven't used this one in ages. At least a day and a half.

With a thought from Wu Yu, the [Bi Fang Sigil] on the pebble immediately lit up and returned to its complete state.

He rubbed the Talisman Seals, and deep within his mind, he seemed to grasp something.

So that's it. The pebble is too poor a medium! A [Bi Fang Sigil] on a little stone will dissipate within seventy-two hours at most.

Perfect. I'll order some talisman paper online and give it a try. Maybe I can learn the craft of a Talisman Master.

Wu Yu rubbed his chin and returned the pebble to his Inventory.

Suddenly, the car jolted.

Wu Yu quickly looked up and discovered that the hovercar was speeding across a bridge over the river.

At the far end of the bridge lay a brilliant expanse of light and shadow!

A gentle female voice came from the car's radio.

"Welcome to..."

"The City of Ten Thousand Rivers!"