Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The Dragon Blood Stone radiated a bright red brilliance, so intense that Zhao Dong found it somewhat blinding. But in the next second, the red light flashed and vanished, returning everything to calm.

Zhao Dong opened his eyes and was immediately shocked. The Dragon Blood Stone had become incredibly dull, with only some red patterns remaining on its surface. The blood-red substance that was once inside had disappeared without a trace. As Zhao Dong was puzzling over this, he looked down at his arm, and his pupils shrank.

A few blood-red lines had appeared on the palm of his right hand. These lines seemed to merge with his veins, appearing and disappearing with the flow of his blood, sometimes clear, sometimes hidden.

Zhao Dong was astounded. He clenched his fist, and the red lines disappeared. Clenching it again, the lines reappeared. He was utterly bewildered. What is going on? He tried throwing a punch, but nothing unusual happened. Everything seemed perfectly ordinary.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Dong circulated his Spiritual Energy.

In an instant, the red brilliance in his palm blazed. The lines looked as though they had come to life, spreading from his palm to his arm, then to his neck. Finally, a streak of red light flashed across his eyes.

Zhao Dong closed his eyes, silently sensing the red light, and felt his entire body begin to heat up. An indescribable sensation began to pervade his body. The next second, he faintly heard a roar.

It sounded like a dragon's cry, coming from his own Dantian.

Zhao Dong focused his senses, and what he discovered next left him astounded. A small, egg-sized dragon had unknowingly appeared in his Dantian. The little dragon was entirely crimson and swam around the Dantian. As if sensing Zhao Dong's attention, the dragon suddenly darted into the Dantian itself.

A shiver ran down Zhao Dong's spine. Before he could react, a voice as deep and ancient as a roar from a prehistoric era resounded in his mind. It was like a dragon's chant.

"You are a person of destiny. Today, I shall impart this Cultivation Technique to you. You must cultivate it well and not bring disgrace upon my Dragon Clan lineage!"

The voice was deep, like the roaring bellow of thunder.

Soon, Zhao Dong's body began to tremble violently as red lines started to appear all over his skin. After a moment, the red lines gradually converged on his right arm, finally gathering in the palm of his right hand.

Zhao Dong opened his eyes, which had unknowingly turned a wicked crimson, giving him an impossibly devilish look.

A feeling beyond description surged through his heart. Unable to hold back any longer, he rushed out of his room and into the small courtyard. With a low roar, he threw a punch toward the sky.

BOOM!

A deep sonic boom exploded like a bomb, carrying with it the faint echo of a dragon's cry.

The terrifying shockwave caused the surrounding trees to shake violently, and the surface of the nearby river churned. The red brilliance on Zhao Dong's right fist dissipated, and the powerful aura around him calmed.

He slowly lifted his hand, looking at the few red lines in his palm. "Dragon-breaking Fist… It really is the Dragon-breaking Fist!" he murmured. "I, Zhao Dong, have really hit the jackpot…"

Zhao Dong's current mood could only be described as ecstatic. He could hardly believe that, by a sheer twist of fate, he had acquired the ancient Secret Technique—the Dragon-breaking Fist. This fist technique was connected to a legendary ancient race—the Dragon Clan. It was said to have been created a thousand years ago by a mighty expert with Dragon Clan blood, but its authenticity was unknown.

But one thing was certain: the Dragon-breaking Fist was incredibly strong. So strong, he could hardly believe it.

Previously, he was no match for Hong Wu's subordinate, A Sheng. But now, with the Dragon-breaking Fist, he could definitely face A Sheng head-on, and perhaps even defeat him. The power of the Dragon-breaking Fist was terrifying. Zhao Dong believed that even though he was still only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, he now had the strength to fight a fourth-level Grandmaster.

A fourth-level Grandmaster… That was a level of strength infinitely close to the East Sea City's Heaven's List.

There were very few fourth-level Grandmasters in the entire East Sea. In other words, apart from those seasoned masters who had been cultivating for many years, almost no one in the city was his match anymore. Even Yun Keqing from the reclusive Yun Family was only a second-level Grandmaster. This alone was a testament to how terrifying Zhao Dong's current strength was.

Zhao Dong clenched his fist, a determined glint in his eyes. I must get stronger, and fast! Number one on the Heaven's List, I, Zhao Dong, will defeat you soon!

A new goal had formed in his mind. Having set foot on the path of cultivation, his greatest objective was to strive to become stronger. This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. If he didn't become stronger, he would only be eliminated by others. He aimed not only to become number one on the East Sea City's Heaven's List but also to step into the Provincial City, advance into the Four Eastern Provinces, and one day, face the Capital City itself.

He continued cultivating at home for the rest of the afternoon, and soon, evening arrived.

His phone rang. He answered it, and Yang Sixue's cheerful laughter came from the other end.

"Hey, you didn't forget what I told you yesterday, did you?"

Zhao Dong smiled. "I haven't forgotten, but I still need to ask my wife. If she lets me go, I'll go. If she doesn't, then I won't."

Yang Sixue chuckled softly on the other end. "Alright, then go ask her. Give me your address, and I'll come pick you up."

Zhao Dong hesitated for a moment before giving Yang Sixue his address. He hung up and immediately dialed Lin Qingyun's number. The call connected quickly, and Lin Qingyun's cool voice came through.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Miss me, honey?" Zhao Dong teased with a smirk.

Lin Qingyun sounded like she was rolling her eyes on the other end. "No. What did you call for?"

Zhao Dong smacked his lips. "Why are you always so cold to me? Do you even see me as your husband?"

"If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'm hanging up. I'm busy," Lin Qingyun stated flatly.

Just as she was about to end the call, Zhao Dong quickly interjected, "Wait, don't hang up! It's important. Your celebrity best friend, Yang Sixue, invited me to some entertainment industry gala with her. I wanted to get your opinion."

Lin Qingyun's brows raised slightly. After a three-second silence, she said coolly, "You don't need my opinion. If you want to go, just go."

Zhao Dong gave a forced smile. "I don't really want to, but your friend is quite persistent. I don't have much of a choice."

Lin Qingyun was silent for a few more seconds before finally saying, "You can go."

"You're awfully generous," Zhao Dong said with a bitter smile. "Aren't you afraid your husband will be stolen away by another woman?"

Lin Qingyun replied calmly, "Our relationship is just a contract. I don't want to use that contract to restrict your personal freedom. You are my husband, and yet you are not. You have a responsibility to me, and yet you don't. Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhao Dong scratched his head. "Not really."

"One day, you will," Lin Qingyun said.

The line went dead. Listening to the busy signal, Zhao Dong just shrugged. A moment later, his phone rang again—it was Yang Sixue, calling to say she had arrived. With nothing more to do, Zhao Dong left the courtyard and headed out of the alley.

「Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.」

At the Lin Family Group headquarters, Lin Qingyun stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the CEO's office. She gazed out at the bustling city below, a complex expression on her face. Her heart was in turmoil.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate profile. Sighing softly, a look of melancholy washed over her as she murmured to herself, Zhao Dong, the Lin Family is coming to East Sea soon, and Xiao Hongtian has already come out of seclusion… What am I going to do?

Of course, Zhao Dong was completely unaware of Lin Qingyun's worries.

Yang Sixue was parked in a white Ferrari in the middle of the old neighborhood, drawing frequent stares from passersby. Zhao Dong spotted the eye-catching car from a distance, and she saw him at the same time. Wearing sunglasses, she rolled down her window, revealing a face beautiful enough to topple empires.

"Zhao Dong, over here!" she called out with a wave and a smile.

Zhao Dong rubbed his nose, strode over to the car in a few quick steps, and slid into the passenger seat.

Yang Sixue shot him a cheerful look. "So, what did Qingyun say?"

"What could she say?" Zhao Dong replied irritably. "In her eyes, it's like this husband of hers doesn't even exist."

Yang Sixue giggled. "Qingyun is a career woman. Until you've completely conquered her, you won't have much of a presence in her world. Not unless you can truly win her over."

"And how do I do that?"

"That's for you to figure out," Yang Sixue said with a playful smile. "Alright, handsome, we should get going."

Zhao Dong glanced at her and remarked, "I can't believe it. The famous superstar of East Sea, the pop queen herself, is actually picking me up."

Yang Sixue's laughter rang out. "I can hardly believe it myself! That I'd ever have anything to do with a common citizen like you."

"Will there be a lot of people at the gala tonight?"

Yang Sixue nodded as she drove. "A lot. There will be no shortage of influential figures from East Sea."

"Then why did you ask me to come?"

"Because every woman has to bring a male partner. If you don't have one, you have to pick someone on the spot, and I really don't want any of those greasy male stars trying to get handsy."

Zhao Dong was taken aback for a moment, but then he understood. He said nothing more.

They soon arrived at the hotel where the gala was being held. Zhao Dong froze. The East Sea International Hotel? Wasn't this his hotel now? The Han Family had transferred it to him just this morning. Zhao Dong was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. What a coincidence.

The hotel entrance was already packed with a dense lineup of luxury cars—Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, and Maybachs were everywhere. Yang Sixue parked the car, then proactively linked her arm with Zhao Dong's. With a radiant smile, she led him toward the entrance.

Just as they were about to reach the door, a gentle and refined male voice called out from the side, filled with clear surprise.

"Sixue… is that really you?!"