Realm-Hopping Martial Master

Jiang Shu ascended to the number one position on the Grandmaster Ranking!

This news, like a hurricane, swept through the entire martial arts world and spread across the globe at an astonishing speed.

Xia Country's martial arts had always attracted the attention of countless foreign governments. After all, despite the proclaimed effectiveness of Freedom Country's genetic research, it still inevitably came with side effects.

Only Xia Country's martial arts offered a path without such drawbacks. Although advancement was extremely difficult, each progression for a Martial Artist represented a qualitative leap, a shattering of humanity's physical shackles. The martial arts of Fusang, Bang Country, and Tainan were all built upon the foundation of Xia Country's martial arts.

Foreign governments wouldn't typically spend much effort analyzing ordinary martial arts prodigies. They were like academic prodigies who might enter university at ten years old—impressive to ordinary people, but not taken seriously by the leading figures in academic circles.

But now, Jiang Shu's existence had transcended the realm of mere martial arts prodigies.

A teenage Grandmaster. At just eighteen, he had advanced to the Hua Jing level and become a Grandmaster. At nineteen, he entered the C-level Heaven and Earth Secret Realm in East Sea City and slew a Fourth Rank Evil Flood Dragon.

This unmatched combat prowess, in their eyes, didn't just make him number one on the Grandmaster Ranking. It made him the undisputed strongest below the Dan Energy level!

All sorts of human resources began to be mobilized, and every piece of information that could be collected about Jiang Shu, from childhood to the present, was transmitted overseas.

At this time, Jiang Shu, having just exited the C-level Heaven and Earth Secret Realm in East Sea City, was sitting in the back seat of a sedan, eyes closed, regulating his breath.

The side effects of the Blood Explosion Pill had already manifested. Inside his body, the previously surging qi and blood were now in a state of extreme deficiency. The Blood Strengthening Pill and internal strengthening pills could only provide a temporary boost.

To quickly recover from these injuries, I might need to use the Fourth Rank essence blood extracted from the Fierce Flood Dragon Meat Horn. But how could I possibly do such a thing? The deficit in qi and blood can be slowly recuperated. It's also the New Year's celebration; I can take this as giving myself a break. Spend some time with Mom and Dad, he thought.

The "Four Symbols Internal Energy" within Jiang Shu's body circulated slowly. The final scene of slaying the Fourth Rank Evil Flood Dragon reemerged in his mind.

That giant serpent was undoubtedly at the final step of transforming into a flood dragon. It had been guarding the Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine in its lair, most likely intending to consume it upon its actual transformation. My arrival, however, shattered all its plans. In the struggle between life and death, it was forced to advance hastily. Except for the protruding Meat Horn, its body had not yet fully transformed into a flood dragon. That was also why I had the confidence to use the Blood Explosion Pill and go all out.

In the front seat of the sedan, a professional military driver drove at high speed with steady control, in silence. Outside the car window, countless travelers were preparing to return home, vehicles heading toward their destinations.

The driver kept his eyes on the road, but Jiang Shu could see the man's heavily suppressed emotions in the car's rearview mirror.

"Where is your home?" Jiang Shu suddenly asked.

"Same as Grandmaster Jiang, my home is also in Ji City," the driver replied, clearly surprised that a figure like Jiang Shu would speak to him first.

"Then you should take a detour home too. Have New Year's Eve dinner before you return," Jiang Shu said.

"The army has regulations..."

The vehicle continued its rapid pace. Silence returned to the car for a while.

An hour later, they were finally approaching the highway exit.

"If it's inconvenient to go all the way back, at least take a detour while you're in Ji City. It's good to see your parents," Jiang Shu said. "Being stationed far from home isn't easy. You should stay through New Year's Eve before leaving. If anyone in the army asks, just say I needed you for something, and it caused a delay," Jiang Shu added softly.

At that moment, the driver's hands, usually steady on the wheel, couldn't help but tremble.

However, a long moment passed without a response.

It wasn't until the car slowed as it approached the entrance of a residential complex that the driver's gaze lingered for a couple of seconds on a specific window of a particular building.

Then, Jiang Shu heard a quiet reply:

"Grandmaster Jiang, I apologize for the delay. I'll speed up and get you back now."

"Thank you."

「Zhen Shui Mansion.」

After bidding farewell to the driver with a military salute, Jiang Shu took the elevator from the underground garage up to the sixth floor. The familiar aroma of home-cooked food reached him even before he opened the door.

"Jiang Shu, you're only back now? Are you trying to starve your little sister to death? Come and face my fist!"

Unlocking the fingerprint lock, Jiang Shu opened the door.

Jiang Yanyue, who had been waiting on the couch for a long time, suddenly leaped up. At 1.68 meters tall, she moved as swiftly as a startled rabbit. Her clenched fist shot towards Jiang Shu with ferocity.

SMACK!

A crisp sound echoed. That was clearly Bright Energy!

"Always this brave in front of your big brother?" Jiang Shu asked with a smile.

Even with his current qi and blood deficiency, there was no way Jiang Shu could be successfully ambushed by his little sister, who was merely a Bright Energy Martial Artist.

He chuckled helplessly, took a slight step to the left, extended a hand, and used a Tai Chi technique to effortlessly redirect all the force.

"Hmph, you only reached Bright Energy after your college entrance exams! Your little sister, an unparalleled martial arts prodigy, already reached Bright Energy in her second year of high school! Just wait, next year I'll advance directly to Dark Force! And the year after that, I'll be a Hua Jing Master!"

Jiang Yanyue tilted her head back proudly, giving Jiang Shu a smug look. In her own eyes, she was terrifyingly strong right now! In all of Ji City No. 1 High School, she was the only one in her grade to have become a Bright Energy Martial Artist! If she hadn't broken through to Bright Energy during the winter break, she could already be preparing her application for early admission to an academy next year!

"So, which academy does the future Grandmaster Jiang plan to attend?" Jiang Shu placed his backpack on the couch and replied with interest.