Realm-Hopping Martial Master

"Easily earn a million a year!"

"Earn enough to buy a house in just one year!" Jiang Yanyue said, her head held high.

"Come on! Girls shouldn't be fighting all the time. Go eat your food," Xu Lizhi said, not indulging her daughter.

Accidents had happened in the ring before! A martial artist's punch could carry the force of over a thousand pounds. Who could guarantee her daughter's complete safety on the stage? The family wasn't lacking money!

"Hmph."

"Except for the tournaments organized by the academy, there's really no need for you to participate in others." Seeing his mother speak, Jiang Shu also chimed in, "Haven't you always been curious about where Dark Force martial artists go? Once you've reached Dark Force, I'll take you to see."

It was better to guide than to block. After she started practicing martial arts, his sister's personality was clearly influenced by Martial Arts. To expect her to remain as she was before, like a flower in a greenhouse, was clearly unrealistic. Rather than letting her find out later, it was better for him to personally show her. At least with him around, Jiang Yanyue's absolute safety could be guaranteed.

"Hehe, I knew Big Brother was the best."

Right, 'Jiang Shu' when there's nothing, 'Big Brother' when she needs something.

He saw right through her.

Continuing to pick at his food, Jiang Shu soon finished a bowl of rice.

At the dining table, his parents also tacitly refrained from asking where Dark Force martial artists usually went. Clearly, some information was only accessible to martial artists who had reached a certain realm.

Just as Jiang Shu was getting up to fetch another bowl of rice, the cellphone that had been on the table suddenly rang.

The caller ID showed Shang Jibei.

"Brother Shang, Happy New Year's Eve," Jiang Shu said with a smile as he answered the phone.

"Happy New Year's Eve." On the other end, Shang Jibei seemed to hesitate, taking several seconds before adding, "Congratulations."

"My dad heard about your breakthrough to Dark Force and is so inspired that he wants to challenge you to a match."

"You can decide the time and place. My dad's intention is that this battle isn't about the Grandmaster rankings. He hopes to use the duel to consolidate his own essence, spirit, and qi, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Pill Energy stage," Shang Jibei said, sounding somewhat apologetic.

He and Jiang Shu were of the same generation, yet his father had been practicing martial arts for so many years and had held the number one spot on the Grandmaster List for nearly a year. Now that Jiang Shu had just ascended to the top, his father was issuing a challenge. It seemed a bit like an elder bullying a junior, and also a bit like being a sore loser. If Shang Jibei didn't truly understand his own father, he wouldn't have even considered making this call, fearing it might create a rift between brothers.

However, Jiang Shu didn't mind at all. Xuanxing was not the Da Jing Dynasty; one couldn't become a Grandmaster just by stacking up resources! How many of those who had reached such a realm were not utterly dedicated to Martial Arts?

"I'm currently at home with my mom and dad. Let's set it for a month from now."

After tentatively setting a time, Jiang Shu exchanged a few more pleasantries with Shang Jibei, then hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, seeing Jiang Shu put down his phone, Jiang Yanyue couldn't help but ask, "Jiang Shu, is it Shang Jibei's dad who wants to challenge you? Is he also a Hua Jing Master? Is he strong among the Grandmasters?"

"What exactly is the Grandmaster List? If I become a Hua Jing Master, will I be on it too?"

"What's your current ranking?"

Although Jiang Shu hadn't put the phone on speaker, sitting beside him, she had clearly heard the entire conversation. With her mouth full of the crispy, golden fish her dad had fried, Jiang Yanyue asked curiously, a barrage of questions tumbling out, her speech muffled.

She had now become a Clear Energy martial artist. But having always been in school, she had never been exposed to the real circle of martial artists. She knew very little about the tournaments for Clear Energy martial artists, let alone the Martial Artist Alliance, which only Dark Force martial artists could access. Hearing about the Grandmaster List for the first time, she naturally found it exceedingly novel, as if she were about to enter a completely new world.

"Yes, the call was about a challenge. Shang Jibei's dad, among Hua Jing Masters, was formerly uniquely outstanding, holding the first spot on the Grandmaster List."

"The Grandmaster List ranks all Hua Jing Masters based on their combat records. Once you've reached Dark Force, you'll naturally understand these things."

This information, unlike matters such as the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm, didn't need to be kept secret. It was harmless to mention it briefly.

As he spoke, Jiang Shu walked to the kitchen, retrieved another bowl of rice, sat back down, and continued, "As for my ranking..."

"A few days ago, it was twenty-third."

"Now, it's exactly first."