High Martial Arts: Gains one point of health per second, sweeping across the heavens.

Time flew by in the silence.

When hungry, they would nibble on a few bites of the expensive jerky from the beasts they had bought in advance; when thirsty, they would drink some water.

Apart from necessary physiological activities and short periods of sleep, Su Jie devoted all his time to this "tedious" tempering process.

[Ding! Martial Aperture Tempering Successful! Current Martial Aperture Level: 7. Combat Power +11!]

[Ding! Martial Aperture Tempering Successful! Current Martial Aperture Level: 7. Combat Power +11!]

……

The pleasant system notification sounds became the only background music in his life.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. On the night before Yang Baichuan's appointment, Su Jie woke up from his frenzied cultivation.

He immediately checked the system panel:

[Current Martial Acupoints: Level 7: 45, Level 6: 54]

Current Qi and Blood Reserves: 3675650 points

[Combat Power: 2871 points!]

"2871 combat power points!" Su Jie clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him. He glanced at his blood and qi reserves, which had already exceeded 360 million, and his confidence soared.

Su Jie checked the unread messages on his bracelet and found that he had received an encrypted message from Yang Baichuan that day. It contained only a coordinate and a short sentence: "Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, abandoned mine No. 7 in the east of the city. No waiting for latecomers."

"Why all the secrecy?" Su Jie muttered, but still kept his appointment on time.

That night, Su Jie did not cultivate and entered a deep sleep. He was too tired to continue.

The next morning, when he arrived at the abandoned mine, he found Yang Baichuan already standing there with his hands behind his back, next to him a sleek, high-tech black small aircraft.

"President Yang." Su Jie stepped forward and bowed.

Yang Baichuan turned around, his gaze sweeping over Su Jie, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Seven days have passed, and your combat strength seems to have increased considerably. It seems the pressure from the Zhou family has become your motivation."

Su Jie smiled and didn't deny it. He had been refining his martial arts skills almost non-stop these past few days, and the results were remarkable.

"Su Jie, you and your father look so alike," Yang Baichuan said slowly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible emotion.

Su Jie's heart stirred; this was the first time someone had brought up the matter of his body's parents. Based on the original owner's vague memories and Yang Baichuan's words, he remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

"Your grandfather and I fought side by side on the northern border back then, so we have a bond of camaraderie."

Yang Baichuan took a drag of his cigarette. "Your parents were also great. They died in that sudden, massive beast tide three years ago. They were heroes who protected humanity, true martyrs."

Su Jie nodded, feeling a greater respect for the "parents" he had never met, and understanding why the city hall had a compensation policy for him, a "martyr's orphan".

"You've been dormant for many years, but now you've soared to great heights. You must have had your own destiny." Yang Baichuan looked at Su Jie, his eyes sharp but without greed. "This is your luck. It's a fitting reward for your sacrificed parents."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "Now that you've begun to distinguish yourself, there are some things you should know. Do you really think we humans can rest easy on our laurels?"

Su Jie sat up straight, knowing that the important part was coming.

"In fact, a lot of information is blocked from the public. Although our human race has multiplied to the present day and has a population of tens of billions, we are just a remote place on a supercontinent in this vast and dangerous Tianming Star."

Yang Baichuan's voice was somewhat low, "Those monsters that occupy vast amounts of mountains, swamps, forests, and oceans on the continent, their numbers are more than trillions."

Among them are terrifying beings capable of moving mountains and filling seas, roaring down stars! To them, we are the 'guests' of this land, or rather... the prey.

Yang Baichuan's voice was deep, "We were able to establish an urban civilization in this remote corner not because of the mercy of the monsters, but because of the martial arts Great Wall built by the blood and flesh of countless ancestors, and a miracle that completely made us humans rise a thousand years ago."

"A miracle?" Su Jie asked cooperatively.

"Yes, a miracle that changed the fate of us Tianming humans." A complex look flashed in Yang Baichuan's eyes.

"A thousand years ago, a huge palace appeared out of nowhere within our human territory. At first, there was panic, but later pioneers risked their lives to investigate and discovered that there was a white jade square in front of the palace."

Those weren't forbidden zones, but rather 'teleportation channels' leading to different worlds, which we call 'dungeon worlds'.

"A dungeon?" Su Jie was shocked. This setting was strangely similar to the games he played in his previous life.

"Yes, dungeons, all sorts of dungeon worlds, bizarre and dangerous, but also full of endless opportunities."

Each instance is fraught with danger, with bizarre rules, powerful guardians, and harsh environments... Countless talented martial artists have perished within them.

"But!" he emphasized, "Initially, it was through the reward we humans obtained from the simplest dungeon—the 'Basic Breathing Technique'—that we truly ushered in the martial arts era and gained the means to fight against demonic beasts!"

"That palace is called the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Palace. It has now been taken over by the Federal Supreme Council and has become the greatest treasure and highest secret of our human race!"

Yang Baichuan stared intently at Su Jie. "Only warriors with a combat power of 2000 points or more, who have undergone rigorous screening and whose parents and three generations have been loyal to the human race, are qualified to be informed of its existence and allowed to enter and explore! Because—"

Yang Baichuan stared intently at Su Jie. "The Federation needs them to enter various instances, to explore, to fight, to acquire resources, cultivation techniques, and even technology! This is to support us in fighting off the endless invasions of demonic beasts and to ensure the survival of humanity!"

Su Jie took a deep breath, feeling a surge of passion in his chest. He realized the world's backdrop was so vast; humanity was not living in comfort, but rather struggling to survive amidst crisis.

"Fortunately, although there are many demonic beasts, they are not a monolithic entity. The internal forces are complex and intertwined, which gives us a chance to breathe and develop."

Yang Baichuan continued, "Su Jie, your sudden rise and soaring combat power will inevitably attract attention from many parties."

Although the vast majority of martial artists in the Federation are adventuring in dungeon worlds or guarding the Martial Arts Great Wall against monsters, troublemakers like the Zhou family, who are short-sighted and resort to underhanded tactics, will certainly not be the last.

His tone became serious: "However, you don't need to worry too much. The Federation has ironclad laws that strictly prohibit the extortion of martial artists, especially genius martial artists."

This is the bottom line; anyone who crosses it dies. Openly, no one dares to touch you. But you must be wary of their underhanded tactics. If you encounter any problems you can't solve in the future, feel free to contact me.

Su Jie sincerely thanked him: "Thank you very much, Chairman Yang."