Base City Headquarters

The main urban area of Jiangnan Base City, in front of the towering dark blue skyscrapers of the Xtreme Martial Arts Center headquarters.

At the summer solstice, I was standing in front of the main entrance of the headquarters, looking up at the four characters on the building—"Extreme Martial Arts Hall."

Outside the courtyard wall of the Martial Arts Headquarters, soldiers armed with live ammunition were stationed everywhere. The entire Xtreme Martial Arts Headquarters gave off the impression of a monster armed to the teeth.

Noticing the summer solstice lingering near the entrance, the soldiers on guard glanced over. Without waiting for anyone to question him, Xia Zhi walked straight to the guard booth and presented his ID card for registration verification.

Seeing that Xia Zhi was so young yet already an official warrior, the verifying officer saluted and immediately led the way.

Entering the headquarters of the Xtreme Martial Arts Center, the enormous courtyard resembled a sprawling park. Small bridges spanned flowing streams, artificial hills and flowerbeds were scattered throughout, and countless pedestrians moved about. Xia Zhi could sense their presence—each one radiating an aura of strength. He realized that all of these individuals must be warriors.

The officer leading him brought Xia Zhi to one of the elevators. Stopping at its doors, he said, "The office area for the master is on the 19th floor. Assistant Bai is already waiting for you."

After thanking the officer, Xia Zhi entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 19th floor. Nearby, other elevators had groups of warriors waiting, but there was no one else waiting where Xia Zhi stood.

Noticing the surprised glances from the other warriors, Xia Zhi suddenly realized he was being afforded special treatment due to his connection with Supervisor Zhuge Tao.

The elevator rose smoothly and swiftly, stopping at the 19th floor without interruption.

As soon as Xia Zhi stepped out, a young woman in professional attire, whom he had seen twice before in video calls, was already waiting for him at the elevator.

Spotting Xia Zhi, she quickly approached and greeted him, "Mr. Xia Zhi, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Assistant Bai."

"Hello, Assistant Bai," Xia Zhi replied with a smile, shaking her outstretched hand.

"Please, follow me. The supervisor is waiting for you in the reception room," she said, leading Xia Zhi to a nearby room.

"Please wait here for a moment while I inform the supervisor," she added before stepping out.

A short while later, a familiar figure entered the reception room. The man, dressed in a Tang suit, had slightly graying hair combed meticulously. Upon seeing Xia Zhi, he broke into a hearty laugh.

"Haha, Xia Zhi! This must be your first time visiting our martial arts headquarters, isn't it?" said Zhuge Tao, the visitor.

Xia Zhi quickly greeted him. "Hello, Supervisor. Yes, this is my first visit. I didn't expect the headquarters to host so many warriors."

Zhuge Tao laughed heartily again. "Jiangnan City has a population of 200 million. As the headquarters for the entire base city, it's natural for it to house numerous warriors."

He then added, "Regarding the F-level monster Tiger Mastiff King incident during your assessment, the matter has essentially been resolved."

"A reckless young man and a daring deputy chief of staff were behind it."

"Old Lei personally executed the deputy chief of staff involved."

Hearing this, Xia Zhi nodded and asked, "If they were able to tamper with the assessment, does this mean someone in the Northern Military District was involved? What about the others?"

"The young man behind it nearly caused trouble for the Security Bureau and the Northern Military District," Zhuge Tao explained. "However, the officer who was shot has taken full responsibility for the incident. If we let go of this, the matter will pass."

Zhuge Tao then looked at Xia Zhi and asked, "Did you use up the 100 million free credits allocated to you last night?"

Momentarily surprised by the shift in topic, Xia Zhi replied, "Yes, I used it all to purchase the first three volumes of the Ninefold Thunder Blade technique."

"Buying the ultimate manual like the Ninefold Thunder Blade? Good! Ambitious kid!" Zhuge Tao remarked with approval. "You're learning that being a warrior is expensive, aren't you?"

Xia Zhi nodded silently.

Seeing this, Zhuge Tao sighed. "Without key evidence, the family of that young man will remain untouchable. Even if he's executed, it would leave a significant hidden danger for you in the future."

"A warrior's talent is important for growth, but so are resources. You saw the prices in the online mall yesterday. Earning enough for essential resources is a monumental task for most warriors."

"No matter how gifted you are, abundant resources save you the most valuable asset—time."

"The younger you are, the easier and faster it is to improve your strength. Once you reach my age, no amount of resources will help much, and it will be too late for regrets."

These words deeply resonated with Xia Zhi.

He knew Zhuge Tao treated him well—not just because of his potential, but because Zhuge Tao genuinely wanted to invest in his future. Despite his reasons, Zhuge Tao's kindness and warmth left a profound impression on Xia Zhi.

"I understand, Supervisor," Xia Zhi said, meeting Zhuge Tao's gaze. "When I'm strong enough, I'll personally ensure justice is served."

"Good! I'll handle the matter with the Old Black Hawk later. Watch and learn," Zhuge Tao said.

Curious, Xia Zhi asked, "Who is the Old Black Hawk?"

Zhuge Tao's tone turned disdainful. "Just a lackey. He's a mid-tier general-level spiritual teacher with little potential for growth."

"A spiritual teacher resorting to servitude?" Xia Zhi muttered, intrigued. This would be his first encounter with another spiritual teacher.

Soon, under Assistant Bai's guidance, an elderly man entered the reception room. Dressed like a British butler, he had deep wrinkles, a sharp eagle nose, and piercing eyes that exuded a cold, cunning temperament.

After stepping in, the old man addressed Zhuge Tao with an icy tone, "Supervisor Zhuge, it's been a while. Lord Li Yao, God of War, sends his regards."

"Thank you for relaying his message," Zhuge Tao replied without backing down. "I'll be sure to convey my regards to your master as well."

Hearing Zhuge Tao's deliberate use of the word supervisor, the old man's expression faltered. Clearly, he feared Zhuge Tao.

Turning to Xia Zhi, the old man asked with feigned politeness, "Is this the young warrior who faced the incident during the assessment?"

Before Xia Zhi could respond, their gazes locked.

Boom!

In an instant, everything around Xia Zhi seemed to disappear. His senses were overwhelmed, plunging him into an abyss of nothingness.

When he finally snapped out of it, cold sweat drenched his back.

"Terrifying," Xia Zhi thought. "A single glance rendered me unconscious. Is an intermediate general-level spiritual teacher truly this powerful?"

Unbeknownst to Xia Zhi, the old man was equally shocked.

"My skill Dark Impact can even affect high-level generals. How did this boy recover so quickly?" the old man thought, panic creeping into his heart.

Initially, the old man intended to implant a mental trap in Xia Zhi during their first meeting. However, his plan backfired—Xia Zhi's hidden spiritual defenses caused his own will to waver.

"Could this boy be more powerful than a senior general?"