When Li Chen walked into the reception hall of Thunder Martial Arts Hall, he was shocked to discover that the area which had previously been packed with people and lined with long queues had now become strangely sparse. Aside from a few trainees who were clearly handling other types of business, the registration and entry assessment counter was almost completely stalled.

What puzzled him even more was that around the counter stood a large group of people who looked just like him—newcomers full of dreams, having paid hefty registration fees to participate in the entry assessment, now waiting to confirm their results with the staff.

‘What’s going on?’

Staring at the chattering crowd of women with hesitant expressions, Li Chen slowed his steps slightly.

‘Did something happen?’

In the past, Li Chen wouldn’t have cared about any so-called “danger” at all. He would have rushed straight in without a second thought.

But now, remembering Bai Wei’s repeated warnings, Li Chen smiled faintly, suppressed the agitation in his heart and chose a more cautious approach, slowly walking over to stand beside the group of new martial artists.

“So what do we do now? We’ve already paid the registration fee—are we really not going to take the assessment?”

“Heh, didn’t you see what just happened? Thunder Martial Arts Hall isn’t short on students at all. Even a dignified sixth-tier martial artist gets rejected as long as they have a so-called ‘defect’!”

“Hiss…”

As if realizing something, the woman who had still been struggling moments ago darkened her face, immediately retreating, pacing back and forth with her assessment form in hand.

“But… but that registration fee was over a hundred thousand credits. Are we really just going to give it up?”

“Forget it. Didn’t you see how miserable Black Wing looked just now? Do you also want to go up there and humiliate yourself? Better to keep your test slot and come back after improving your strength.”

‘Defects in a sixth-tier martial artist? Black Wing, humiliating herself? Oh—so that’s how it is.’

Li Chen, already mentally prepared, immediately understood.

Indeed, Thunder Martial Arts Hall wasn’t just exceptionally strict in its internal training; its standards for recruiting new students were also bound by countless rigid rules.

‘Good thing I didn’t use any overdraft methods to force a tier breakthrough back then.’

As a transmigrator, Li Chen naturally knew many special methods and techniques that could force a tier breakthrough. But those crooked paths always came with a price.

‘To gain something, you must lose something.’

This was an eternal law of the martial world.

Perfect, side-effect-free top-tier techniques certainly existed—but only if you possessed the corresponding top-tier aptitude.

‘However, that technique the old hag is researching—Supreme Freedom Art—is an exception.’

Li Chen rubbed his chin, carefully recalling related information from the game.

‘Although it still has certain aptitude requirements, it focuses more on comprehension than physical qualities. The technique itself isn’t weak either. While it’s still some distance from the supreme inherited arts of the major consortium families, it has a special advantage they don’t…’

Li Chen’s eyes flickered slightly.

‘No need for massive resources—one can break through tiers purely by raising martial realms.’

Compared to those heaven-favored geniuses, for someone ‘starting from nothing’ like Li Chen, Supreme Freedom Art was absolutely the most suitable choice.

‘Speaking of which, that technique seems to originate from the core singularity-technology zone of Pre-Civilization Ruin No. 86?’

Thinking carefully, Li Chen murmured, “I remember some forum experts analyzing that the reason this technique can violate the iron laws of the martial world is precisely because of singularity technology. And once cultivated to an extremely profound level, it can even use this as a catalyst to open the door to singularity technology itself…”

As everyone knew, singularity technology originated from the golden age of pre-civilization—a collection of technologies that transcended physical laws and could fundamentally reshape existing systems of production.

But few people knew that among martial artists, especially top grandmasters above eighth tier, if they wished to break into even higher realms, they had to rely on singularity technology.

This was also why top martial masters could wield world-shaking power that completely defied common sense.

‘Of course, there are also extremely rare existences who are born already fused with singularity technology.’

Li Chen thought of a certain disciple he had once placed great hopes in, only to be betrayed by in the end.

‘Forget it. Matters concerning the future of Hive City can be left to those bad women to worry about. Anyway, after I intervened, their original life trajectories already changed. In the original story, most major dangers were wiped out early when I pushed the main plot forward. All in all, the current Hive City… Was truly peaceful and harmonious. And I should start making proper plans for my own future.’

Swish.

Holding his assessment report, ignoring the anxiety and fear of the others, Li Chen steadily walked toward the sparsely populated counter.

Rustle rustle!

As Li Chen took that step, whispers spread through the entire hall. In an instant, all eyes gathered on that “brave figure.”

“Huff—”

Just as some ill-intentioned martial artists were about to see which ignorant fool or clueless unlucky soul this was, their expressions instantly changed once they saw his face.

“S-so handsome…”

“Hey, sisters, look—there’s a super handsome guy.”

“Wow, his figure looks amazing too and he’s here to sign up at Thunder Martial Arts Hall. Could he be some consortium young master?”

“Are you stupid? If he really came from a consortium family, would he need to come here and let those stiff, ugly women torment him?”

“W-wah! What do we do? That little brother is really going to the counter. Waaah, I can’t bear to see such a handsome guy being humiliated by those women!”

Listening to the chorus of regret and concern behind him, Li Chen remained unmoved.

‘Humiliation? Ruined?’

Compared to the pitch-dark Lower Hive, a human hell where survival itself required wagering everything.

Compared to the Lower City, where people had to seize every opportunity at all times for a better future, even at the cost of trampling virtues they once admired—honesty, integrity, kindness.

The bit of hardship feared by martial artists born in the Upper Hive citizen class, who never lacked food or clothing, amounted to nothing.

Li Chen was no pampered vase.

Perhaps for Bai Wei, for Liu Yu and the others who loved him deeply, Li Chen had already given up life-threatening opportunities—but mere harsh training?

“Hmph.”

With a courage completely incomprehensible to other martial artists, Li Chen strode up to the counter.

Li Chen could see 2 people conversing.

“Miss Schufestan.”

Beside the gleaming white alloy counter, the receptionist spoke in a flat, emotionless tone while dealing with others.

“Are you here to discuss new martial-technique research with Dr. Lisa?”

“No.”

A young woman with long fiery-red hair, her alluring curves impossible to hide even in a combat suit, replied indifferently, “I’m just here to confirm my assessment results.”

“I see.”

The receptionist narrowed her eyes slightly. A powerful chill instantly spread outward, even affecting Li Chen who was approaching.

‘Only fourth tier? But the cultivation technique is quite special—at least transcendent tier or above.’

Feeling the strange qi that clung to him the instant it made contact and continued seeping toward his internal organs, Li Chen’s expression remained calm, though his internal alert level rose to the highest point.

“Hah.”

He quickly closed his eyes and secretly circulated a mental technique, refining that non-lethal but extremely uncomfortable aura.

‘Ice-Heart Art?’

Li Chen’s eyes flickered as he instantly recognized the technique.

‘What extravagance. Although it can’t compare to consortium inheritances or cutting-edge corporate R&D, out in the open it’s enough to make countless high-tier martial artists fight over it—and even draw many Upper Hive martial halls like moths to a flame.’

This is just a front-desk receptionist.

And that counter in front of her—if I’m not mistaken, it’s made of Eternal Gold.

‘Although no one in Hive City has yet mastered Eternal Gold forging, many excavated pre-civilization ruins are used by Uppermost Hive elites as defensive materials in their residences due to their near-unsolvable durability. Who would’ve thought Thunder Martial Arts Hall would be extravagant enough to turn it directly into a counter…’

Li Chen couldn’t help but reassess this organization that had always seemed inconspicuous in the game, known mainly for nurturing non-consortium high-tier characters and reliably farming techniques.

‘This martial hall… runs deep. No—rather, I underestimated it before.’

In a world where consortiums carved up everything in Hive City, aside from institutions like the Mercenary Guild, City Hall and the Public Security Bureau—organizations that maintained relative “independence” due to delicate power balances—how could an entity with massive resources and techniques, yet affiliated with no consortium, exist so openly?

Without real capability, it would have been swallowed long ago.

‘Looks like choosing Thunder Martial Arts Hall really was the right decision.’

For Li Chen, who didn’t want to get too deeply involved in Hive City’s darker undercurrents, Thunder Martial Arts Hall—low-key on the surface yet rich in hidden foundations—was indeed an excellent place to cultivate martial arts before reaching high tier.

‘And I’ve heard that although Thunder Martial Arts Hall trains its members extremely harshly, it truly doesn’t care about their backgrounds. As long as you pay the exorbitant tuition on time and don’t leak techniques, they don’t interfere with what you do privately.’

Taking out the Platinum Member card, Li Chen couldn’t suppress his smile.

‘It’s just… hard on Xiao Wei, spending so much money… So—even if only to avoid wasting Xiao Wei’s money, I must pass the assessment!’

“Miss Schufestan, congratulations. Your entry assessment composite rating is… AAA. Physical quality: max. Martial aptitude: max. Only martial comprehension is slightly weaker, but still AA-grade.”

Just as Li Chen resolved himself, the receptionist announced the results to the noble-looking Miss Schufestan beside him.

“Therefore, I am honored to inform Miss Kate Schufestan that you meet our company’s ‘Seed Elite’ criteria and are granted unlimited access to all tiers of our technique information repository.”

With that, the receptionist respectfully handed over a silver-white card.

“Seed Elite…”

Yet instead of being satisfied with this unbelievably generous treatment, Miss Schufestan looked at the receptionist with deep suspicion.

“I heard the hall master is recruiting inheritance disciples. Regardless of background, as long as one reaches genius-level in the entry evaluation, they can be listed as a candidate?”

The receptionist remained silent.

Tap tap!

Urgent footsteps interrupted them.

“Hey—front desk. That perfect experiment—I mean, disciple candidate you mentioned earlier, where is she?”

A woman in a white lab coat, hair in disarray, naturally beautiful yet pale from chronic sleeplessness with heavy dark circles, rushed over.

‘That old hag? And they were just talking about… new martial-technique research?’

In a flash, Li Chen recalled something.

‘Wait—this couldn’t be that special quest that screwed over countless guilds back then, right? The Schufestan Family Extermination Case?’

Li Chen stroked his chin with interest. Interesting—Supreme Freedom Art really isn’t as simple as it looks.

Watching the receptionist and Miss Schufestan turn pale at Dr. Lisa’s arrival, Li Chen chuckled quietly.

‘Heh—looks like a good show is about to start.’