Grinding to the Martial Sage from the White Ape Fist

The morning sets the tone for the day.

The early morning sun filtered through the carved lattice window, spilling onto the rosewood daybed. Su Yu looked down at the enchanting figure cradled in his arms.

A fine sheen of fragrant sweat dampened the dark hair at Zhen’Er’s temples, and her skin, as fair as flawless jade, glowed with an alluring flush. She was curled up like a lazy kitten in Su Yu’s strong arms, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her shy, blissfully spent appearance was truly irresistible.

’There’s that old saying about kings who skip morning court for a woman. I used to scoff at it, but now I completely understand.’

However, Su Yu had another joy in his life: practicing Martial Arts.

He gently pulled his arm free and tucked the silk brocade quilt around Zhen’Er. Under the young woman’s shy, peeking gaze, Su Yu slipped out of bed, then swiftly dressed and washed up.

Catching sight of her bashful expression, Su Yu couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

In the throes of passion just now, this little vixen had been incredibly bold and enthusiastic, relying on the endless regenerative power of her Wood Spirit Body. Now, in the aftermath, she seemed to feel a bit ashamed of her own abandon.

Still, with his guidance and "nourishment," the girl was blossoming, exuding an increasingly alluring and mature charm.

After washing up, Su Yu walked into the courtyard bare-chested. He took a deep breath of the cool morning air, assumed a fist stance, and began his ironclad daily Martial Arts practice.

[Mountain-Shaking Demon Ape Fist Skill Level +25]

[Mountain-Shaking Demon Ape Fist Skill Level +25]

...

Watching the inky characters that continuously materialized before his eyes and feeling his Qi and Blood grow stronger step by step, Su Yu found that he truly enjoyed this sensation.

It was just like playing a game in his past life. Practicing martial arts was like grinding levels. Every day’s effort yielded feedback, and the gains were permanent as his progress bar steadily increased.

Unlike others, who often saw no progress in their training over short periods—or even regressed, getting stuck at bottlenecks—he faced none of the various factors that constantly constrained, hindered, and even crushed a martial artist’s spirit...

This was why most people had to rely on sheer willpower to practice Martial Arts; without continuous positive feedback, it was natural that they couldn’t persevere.

Soon, two hours had passed, and his practice of the Mountain-Shaking Demon Ape Fist for the day was complete.

[Martial Arts]: Mountain-Shaking Demon Ape Fist (Great Success 2300/10000)

’I’m almost one-third of the way there. I can already feel the faint stirrings of my Huagai acupoint. It’ll only be a few more days until I break through.’

Once he broke through the Huagai acupoint, he would be able to "lock" his lung qi, greatly increasing the power of his Bibo Fish Dragon Skill and Vajra Fearless True Sound.

This would, in turn, further increase his chances of success in capturing the Black Dragon Fish on his upcoming trip.

After reining in his Qi and Blood, Su Yu turned and walked into the main hall for breakfast.

Breakfast was as lavish as ever: a steamed Ice Perch, plus a dish of stir-fried Lingzhi and Flying Dragon.

As he took large bites of the precious meat, pure energy dissolved in his stomach like a raging fire. While his Qi and Blood rapidly recovered, the progress toward his next Breakthrough Point also began to slowly rise.

[Breakthrough Point Progress +1%]

[Breakthrough Point Progress +2%]

[Breakthrough Point Progress +1%]

...

[Breakthrough Points]: 3 (Progress 2%)

’Finally, three points. Time to break the limit on the White Ape Long Arm Fist!’

Filled with anticipation, Su Yu pushed open the door to the back courtyard, preparing to break the limit.

Just then, the extremely respectful voice of his steward, Li Da, suddenly echoed from the front courtyard: "My lord, Silver Steward Lv Guandu of the Thousand Mechanism Tower has come to call. He is waiting outside."

’The Thousand Mechanism Tower?’

Su Yu had naturally heard of this behemoth. It was a major power whose influence spread throughout Qingzhou Prefecture, dealing primarily in the intelligence business. They even had a branch in the Inner City of Black Stone City.

When he participated in the Martial Examination, the Thousand Mechanism Tower had even created a "Black Stone City Martial Examination Prodigy List," and he had been on it.

However, that list had only circulated in the Outer City of Black Stone City for a short while before disappearing.

’What’s he doing here?’

As his thoughts raced, Su Yu casually gave an order, "Go and invite him to the front hall for tea. I’ll be right there."

...

Arriving at the front hall, he pushed open the door and entered. A middle-aged man dressed in a long white robe, his chest adorned with a cloud pattern of the characters for "Thousand Mechanism" embroidered in silver thread, was sitting upright in a Grandmaster’s Chair, sipping tea.

Upon seeing Su Yu enter, Lv Guandu immediately set down his teacup. He rose with a gentle smile and performed a cupped-fist salute. "Commander Su, I apologize for this unannounced visit. I hope I haven’t disturbed you."

"Steward Lv, you’re too polite. Please, sit."

The two sat down, host and guest. A maidservant brought a fresh pot of Cloud Mist Spirit Tea, and its fragrance instantly filled the hall.

"What business brings you here today, Steward Lv?" Su Yu asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"Commander Su is a man of straightforward words. In that case, I won’t beat around the bush either."

Lv Guandu smiled. "I came today primarily on behalf of the Thousand Mechanism Tower, to make the acquaintance of a peerless prodigy like yourself, Commander Su. I trust you’ve heard of my Thousand Mechanism Tower?"

"I know a thing or two. The Thousand Mechanism Tower is a top-tier intelligence and commerce giant across the sixteen prefectures of Qing Province. With such a reputation, who wouldn’t know of you?" Su Yu said nonchalantly.

Lv Guandu nodded with considerable pride and added, "Since you are aware, Commander Su, that makes things easier. The Thousand Mechanism Tower has a long-standing tradition of befriending promising young prodigies. After obtaining their consent, we evaluate them and enter them into the Qingzhou Hidden Dragon List!"

"I have been sent here this time to present you with this Bronze VIP Token, Commander Su, and to formally invite you to be ranked on the Hidden Dragon List!"

Su Yu’s hand, which was raising his teacup, paused for a moment. A flicker of contemplation crossed his eyes as he asked, "I am honored by your Tower’s high regard. But I’m curious, what tangible benefits do this so-called VIP Token and Hidden Dragon List offer me?"

"The benefits are immense, of course!"

Lv Guandu explained patiently, "Let’s start with the Bronze VIP Token. Such tokens are only ever given to renowned Muscle Forging Realm experts, profound powerhouses at the Perfect Tendon Forging Realm, or chosen prodigies like yourself, Commander Su. Holding this token makes you an honored VIP client of our Thousand Mechanism Tower!"

"From now on, no matter which city in Qing Province you find yourself in, as long as there is a branch of our Thousand Mechanism Tower, you will not only have free access to a great deal of intelligence but also enjoy high-level rights to internal auctions. If you wish to inquire about any secret information or post a high-bounty mission, this token will grant you high-priority handling!"

Hearing this, Su Yu understood completely.

’The Thousand Mechanism Tower is indeed a massive intelligence-based conglomerate,’ he thought. ’They use these so-called High-tier VIP Tokens to befriend and recruit powerful experts and rising stars from all factions, running a business of resource integration.’

’But this isn’t a business just anyone can run. With my social experience from a past life, I know the barrier to entry is high. If you don’t have enough power to back it up and intimidate everyone, who would bother making deals with you?’

"Then I shall graciously accept the Thousand Mechanism Tower’s kind offer."

Su Yu didn’t hesitate in the slightest. Associating with such a power would make many things much more convenient, especially in these chaotic times. Now that his own strength had grown considerably, he could no longer limit his sights to just Black Stone City.

He needed to understand Qingzhou Prefecture, at the very least, if not the entire Great Xia.

"However, I must confirm one thing: are there any obligations that come with this Bronze VIP Token?"

"Rest assured, Commander Su. The Thousand Mechanism Tower has grown so large by relying on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and free trade. This VIP Token comes with no obligations whatsoever. All transactions and missions are entirely voluntary. If you do not wish to accept something, I assure you that in all of Qing Province, no one would dare force an honored guest of our Tower!"

Su Yu nodded in satisfaction and accepted the Bronze VIP Token.

The token was heavy and cool to the touch, seemingly forged from some kind of meteoric iron, its surface shimmering with a dark, cold light. The front was engraved with a vivid, nine-story tower that pierced the clouds. On the back was a powerful, archaic-looking character for "Su," with his full name, Su Yu, branded in fine, dark lines in the bottom right corner.

It seemed to be a unique token for each individual, impossible for outsiders to forge or misuse.

"Then allow me to congratulate you, Commander Su, on becoming an honored Guest Minister of our Thousand Mechanism Tower."

Seeing Su Yu accept the token, the smile on Lv Guandu’s face widened. "On this trip, I also took the liberty of bringing copies of the latest editions of the ’Chronicles of Qingzhou’ and the ’Qingzhou Hidden Dragon List’ as a gift for you, Commander Su."

As he spoke, Lv Guandu casually raised his right hand. A dark silver ring on his thumb flashed with a clear light, and two exquisite, faintly ink-scented books materialized out of thin air on the table!

A glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. ’A Storage Ring!’

He guessed that Lv Guandu was intentionally showing off the Tower’s profound resources, but he simply nodded calmly and accepted the two books.

Lv Guandu noted Su Yu’s calm expression, and a thought flashed through his mind. ’He’s completely unfazed. It seems he’s not only seen a Storage Ring before, but might even have one himself.’

’Truly a genius blessed with astonishing fortune!’

"Commander Su, according to our Thousand Mechanism Tower’s private network’s assessment of your recent achievements... you, at the Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, directly crushed the veteran Refining Flesh Realm Perfection expert Pei Zhan, and single-handedly killed two Senior Stewards from the Black Lotus Sect who were also at Refining Flesh Realm Perfection. You are a top-tier prodigy. The main tower in Qingzhou Prefecture will likely rank you around the one-hundredth spot on the Hidden Dragon List. The Hidden Dragon List and the Chronicles are updated monthly, so you should see the latest news next month."

’One hundredth place?’

Hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed across Su Yu’s face.

’With my current ability to defeat opponents of a higher realm, I’m only ranked around one hundredth?’

As if guessing Su Yu’s surprise, Lv Guandu smiled and explained, "Commander Su, you mustn’t think this ranking is low. In fact, it’s terrifyingly high! If not for Elder Lv’s recommendation, who believes the Green-Scaled Eagle you tamed has limitless potential, your rank would likely only be around two hundred. After all, this is the Hidden Dragon List for the entirety of Qing Province. You can’t imagine how many monstrously talented individuals exist in this world."

"Take the neighboring Jian’an Prefecture, for instance. A peerless prodigy with a Spirit Rank Root Bone just emerged! That kid not only has astonishing comprehension, able to master any high-tier Martial Arts with ease, but he’s also broken through to the Muscle Forging Realm at the mere age of seventeen! His actual combat strength allows him to easily kill opponents of a higher realm!"

’Spirit Rank Root Bone? Muscle Forging Realm at seventeen? And he can easily kill opponents of a higher realm?’

A faint sense of excitement grew in Su Yu’s heart. The heroes of this world were truly countless.

’I thought I was already a monster of a talent, but it turns out I’m nothing special.’

’Good. Good. Excellent!’

’It seems I haven’t been making full use of my own peerless talent!’

...

After seeing Lv Guandu off, Su Yu stood in the center of the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, feeling a burning battlelust ignite within him!

’Being known as the top genius in Black Stone City made me a little complacent. Now I see I’ve just been a frog in a well.’

’If that’s the case, then I’ll just have to keep getting stronger!’

’White Ape Fist, break the limit!’

[Breaking Limit on White Ape Long Arm Fist initiated... Consuming 3 Breakthrough Points. Breakthrough successful.]

[Trait Acquired: White Ape Extreme Stance - Instant Shadow Thousand Strikes]