High Martial: I Grind Professions

"Forty years old? A Perfected Venerable? The eighth floor of the Heaven-Reaching Tower?!"

Baroque, a burly young man covered in crimson scales who resembled a humanoid tyrannosaurus, slammed his hand on the table, sending ripples across the virtual surface.

"What kind of joke is this?! I was over a hundred when I reached the eighth floor! Has the data been tampered with?"

"Baroque, calm down." An elegant, elf-like woman named Isabel, dressed in a moon-white robe, spoke faintly.

"The Heaven-Reaching Tower was established by headquarters; it can’t be faked. Besides, the tower has existed for countless eons and has never made a mistake."

"A race with a ninth-grade bloodline?" A figure completely enveloped in a Dark Cloak, revealing only two points of crimson light, spoke in a hoarse voice thick with contempt and doubt.

"A bug from a low-grade civilization who probably just got shit-lucky and stumbled upon some ancient legacy. The Heaven-Reaching Tower tests comprehensive combat strength, but that doesn’t mean he’s any good in a real fight. With his pathetic bloodline potential, his limits are bound to be extremely low. He’s just a flash in the pan."

He was one of the first kings to issue a challenge to Li Wen, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Naraku, don’t underestimate him," Ares Titan said in a deep voice. "Theories on bloodline aren’t absolute. The fact that the higher-ups value him says it all.

Passing the eighth floor at a bone age of forty means his talent—or rather, the terror of his legacy—is far beyond our imagination. I’m more curious about where his limits lie."

A strong fighting spirit glinted in his eyes. "I’ve already sent him a challenge. A Venerable who can kill a projection at the Peak of Saint Realm... He’s worthy of me testing his strength."

"I sent an invitation as well," a pleasant voice chimed in.

The speaker was a woman who looked like an elf under the moonlight. Her long, silvery-white hair draped softly over her shoulders, her skin was as fair as snow, and her features were exquisitely flawless.

Her eyes, in particular, were as clear as a starlit lake, gleaming with wisdom and mystery.

She had a perfect figure, and the silver magic robe she wore, adorned with star patterns, further enhanced her ethereal aura.

Isabel smiled faintly, starlight swirling at the tip of her crystal Magic Staff. "He’s very interesting. Perhaps he can bring some new inspiration to my Star Law."

"Hmph, you’re all so eager," Baroque snorted, but a fire ignited in his eyes as well.

"I’d like to see how many moves this ’monster’ can last against me! If he’s all talk and no substance, hmph..."

Within the hall, astonishment, wonder, intense curiosity, and naked disdain intertwined.

The name Li Wen was like a meteorite crashing into a calm lake.

It instantly sent massive waves through the circle of the Alka Empire’s most elite young geniuses, drawing unprecedented attention.

Everyone was waiting, waiting for Li Wen, the man from a remote Star Domain.

Waiting to see how he would respond to this storm of challenges from a high-tier empire, each one laden with different intentions.

...

「Meanwhile, in a lounge of the virtual arena.」

Li Wen’s finger was already hovering over a challenge invitation that flashed with a dark gold king’s emblem. The ID read: [Shadow Devourer - Naraku].

’Let’s start with you, my little experience point piggy bank,’ Li Wen thought, the corner of his mouth curling into a sharp smirk as his fingertip gently tapped down—

[ACCEPT CHALLENGE!]

...

「In the Virtual Cosmos, on a colossal arena exclusive to the Ultimate Martial Arts Field.」

The space was not a traditional flat stage but a platform suspended above a deep Star Sea.

Below flowed a brilliant, slowly moving Star River, where countless stars were spread out like fine sand, emitting a soft glow.

It was surrounded by a translucent energy barrier, separating the inside from the out.

Beyond the barrier was the deep backdrop of space.

Occasionally, a stream of light would flash by—a channel for other ongoing battles or spectators.

The entire arena was vast enough for a Venerable’s battle to unfold without restraint, an environment both grim and immense.

Dressed in a simple black training uniform, Li Wen stood as straight as a pine tree, hovering silently in the center of the Star Sea arena.

His expression was calm and untroubled, his eyes profound.

It was as if the highly anticipated duel before him was nothing more than a routine practice session.

BZZZT!

As space rippled faintly, a figure quickly solidified across from him.

The newcomer was completely shrouded in the Dark Cloak, its hood pulled low,

revealing only two points of blood-red light, like the eyes of a savage beast lurking in the abyss.

It was none other than Shadow Devourer - Naraku.

Almost at the same instant Naraku’s figure solidified, ripples spread across the space at the edge of the arena.

One after another, figures with powerful or sharp auras appeared—the group of geniuses from the Alka Empire’s capital planet.

They hovered outside the energy barrier, their gazes locked on the two combatants in the arena.

"Tsk, he looks pretty ordinary." A young man in a tight-fitting silver outfit with wild, flame-like hair was the first to speak, his arms crossed. His tone was filled with unconcealed scrutiny and a hint of disdain.

"I don’t feel any pressure coming from him."

"Ha! As expected of Kane. You can see through to the essence of things, even through the rules of the Virtual Cosmos."

A slender man with a slightly effeminate air standing next to him immediately chimed in with a teasing smile, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Your ’Godly Eye of Insight’ is getting sharper and sharper. You can even critique an aura simulated by the system."

Kane’s eyebrow twitched, and he retorted without missing a beat, "Sisko, that mouth of yours is faster than your daggers. What, you want to test if my ’insight’ is accurate?"

"Alright, you two, knock it off." A blond young man, steady as a mountain and built like a small giant, spoke up. It was the core of their group, Ares Titan.

He waved his hand in resignation, but his gaze was fixed on Li Wen like a torch. "The fight is about to start. Instead of this pointless banter, I’m more interested in whether this person can defeat Naraku."