In a corner of the hall.
“Luofeng, what would you like to eat? Since it’s your first time here today, I’ll treat you,” Yang Hui smiled, taking the menu from the waiter beside him and handing it to Luofeng.
“Oh?”
Luofeng curiously took it. Upon opening the menu, he found each drink and dish described in both Chinese and English, with prices listed in Earth currency, Huaxia currency, US dollars, Euros, Rubles (Soviet Russia), and Rupees (India).
“A glass of wine costs nearly 100,000? What’s this ‘Dragon Liver’ costing 880,000? Well, the regular dishes are okay, around 100,000 Huaxia coins each.” Luofeng was startled inwardly but smiled toward the other warriors, saying, “Everyone, this is my first time in the Warrior Palace, but I have to say, the food here is really expensive.”
The food and drinks in the virtual space are all virtual. Yet their prices are even higher than in the real world.
“It is expensive, but there’s no choice,” Brad, the warrior instructor beside him, sighed in slightly awkward Chinese. “There’s only one place selling food and drinks in the entire Warrior Palace; otherwise, you’d have nowhere else to buy! Although the food and drinks are virtual, they’re 100% realistic, feeling just like the real thing. If you’re not looking to fill your stomach, but just to enjoy the taste, it’s worth it.”
A few warriors casually ordering some drinks and food would normally cost over a million Huaxia coins.
If it were a lavish banquet, it might cost tens of millions of Huaxia coins!
Only the wealthiest group on Earth, the Warriors, could afford such consumption. Ordinary millionaires would probably not dare to be so extravagant. For the Warriors, even serving an organization, an annual salary of 5 billion Huaxia coins is quite normal. No matter how expensive the dishes are in the Warrior Palace, they are affordable for the Warriors. As for Luofeng, one of the strongest Warriors at the peak, killing a monster like a Tyrannosaurus or an Ironclad Dragon could earn him over ten billion…
Would he care about a little food?
“The taste is indeed very…” Luofeng couldn’t help but praise.
“When it comes to deliciousness, how can the real world compare to the virtual space?” Yang Hui smiled.
Luofeng then asked the group, “I’ve always been curious, how many council members are there in the Warrior Palace altogether?” Being a council member meant surpassing the level of a warrior.
“There are a total of 52 council members and five grand councilors,” Ji Tao laughed beside him.
“52? That many?” Luofeng was somewhat surprised.
“Too many?”
Vitt, the warrior instructor beside him, shook his head and said in fluent Chinese, “Under the five grand councilors, there are only 52 council members. Considering the world’s population of 7 billion, on average, there’s less than one per hundred million. Among them, our Limit Martial Arts Academy’s ‘Three Royal Guards’ and ‘Five Inspectors’ already take up eight spots!”
“Also, the Thunder Martial Arts Academy, although slightly fewer, has six council members under the Thunder God.”
“There are also council members who are unwilling to serve under anyone and have established mercenary armies, about seven or eight. And there are five or six council members enshrined by the HR Alliance.”
“Just these parts add up to about 26-30 council members,” Vitt said, shaking his head as he spoke in Chinese. “Then there are the five major powers and 23 base cities, which share the remaining twenty or so council members! And some of the council members are very aloof, living in seclusion and not caring about any organization. How many council members does each major power get?”
Luofeng listened and suddenly understood.
The Limit Martial Arts Academy, the Thunder Martial Arts Academy, numerous mercenary armies, and the HR Alliance together occupy more than half of the council seats.
“Those who are truly loyal to their countries and serve their nations, like the Huaxia nation, having three or four council members is already quite good,” Yang Hui smiled. “Of course—the national power cannot be underestimated. For example, one of our Limit Martial Arts Academy’s inspectors is a citizen of Huaxia. Although officially belonging to the Limit Martial Arts Academy, if Huaxia requests help… they will still come to the rescue.”
Luofeng nodded.
A council member might be enshrined by the HR Alliance or serve as a mercenary, but that doesn’t mean they won’t help their homeland when the time comes—it’s their homeland after all! So a major power might nominally have only three or four council members under its command, but in reality, it could easily summon seven or eight.
“Luofeng, let’s go shopping at the Warrior Palace’s mall later, okay? The items inside the Warrior Palace are much cheaper than outside,” Yang Hui suggested.
Luofeng’s heart stirred, and he immediately said, “Is there an auction hall here as well?”
“Of course there is.”
Ji Tao, holding a wine glass beside him, said excitedly, “The monthly auction is really interesting! More than 90% of warriors worldwide will come that day! You have to understand… no matter how big an auction house is in the real world, it’s hard to gather forces from all over the world. Only the Warrior Palace can do that!”
Luofeng nodded. Each base city, especially those on different continents separated by oceans, is very inconvenient to travel between, relying only on passenger aircraft.
The Warrior Palace… brings together the strongest forces from all over the world.
“The auction here has the best results. So there are many special items,” Yang Hui explained. “We can also put things up for auction, but there are conditions for auction… the minimum value of auction items is 1 billion Huaxia coins, with no upper limit.”
“Do you have the Water of Life?” Luofeng asked directly.
“In the first seven months of this year, there were five months with the Water of Life,” Yang Hui introduced. “If I remember correctly, this month’s auction will also have the Water of Life.”
Luofeng was delighted, but then puzzled.
Is the Water of Life really that abundant? Didn’t the U.S. government want to emphasize its scarcity?
“Why is the U.S. government auctioning so much Water of Life?” Luofeng asked in confusion.
“The Water of Life is only considered precious outside,” Yang Hui scoffed with a smile. “In the second half of this year, there will be a public auction open to all martial artists. There will only be one Water of Life! But… this is the Warrior Palace!”
“Here in the Warrior Palace, there are monthly auctions of many items, each worth tens of billions or even hundreds of billions of coins. So, how much money can the U.S. government make by selling just one Water of Life a year?”
“If it’s auctioned here in the Warrior Palace, outsiders won’t know. Selling more of it just makes them more money,” Yang Hui smiled.
Luofeng nodded.
“How much was it sold for in the previous auctions?” Luofeng asked.
“The starting bid was 10 billion Huaxia coins, and the final winning bid was around 20 billion Huaxia coins per portion,” Yang Hui smiled. “The public auction outside might go up to 30 billion. But no one here in the Warrior Palace is a fool… if it’s too expensive, no one will buy it.”
Luofeng was secretly delighted. Indeed, different social circles have access to different things.
The Warrior Palace gathers all the warriors on Earth, making it a huge consumer market. For something like the Water of Life, the U.S. government wants to make big money, and as long as it’s sold within the Warrior Palace.
“When is this month’s auction?” Luofeng asked.
“Just a few days from now, the auction is on August 15th,” Yang Hui said. “The auction happens once a month, always on the 15th of each month.”
Luofeng nodded.
August 15th, his younger brother would finally be able to stand up again, just a few days left.
…
In the hall of the Warrior Palace, people occasionally came down the stairs.
“Which one is Luofeng?” An old man with gray hair approached a group of friends, sat down, and quietly asked.
“He’s in the south, sitting together with Yang Hui and a few others,” a muscular bald man whispered. “Do you see him? The few warriors from the Limit Martial Arts Academy are all talking with Luofeng.” Since Luofeng’s previous exposure, various factions had immediately quietly notified their people.
“That young man?”
The old man with gray hair carefully looked at him, nodded, and said, “His demeanor is indeed not ordinary. Look at his eyes…” The eyes are the window to the soul. A common person with good ‘mental’ health will have bright eyes. If mentally exhausted, the eyes will also be dull and dim. And as a mentalist…
When hidden, their eyes are deep and unfathomable like a deep pond. When furious, just a glance is enough to make weaker warriors tremble.
Therefore, mentalists generally have a special aura, resulting from their extraordinary mental strength.
“Find a time to get to know him well,” the old man with gray hair whispered, “In the future, if we have difficulties, we can ask him for help. Oh… when I came just now, I found out that the Limit Martial Arts Academy has requested the government’s help to find out about Luofeng’s parents’ relatives. This matter is a good opportunity to get to know him, so we should also make some effort.”
“Okay.”
The other warriors also nodded.
“With Luofeng’s help, many things will become much easier for us in the future,” the old man with gray hair smiled slightly.
…
Luofeng was evaluated by the highest decision-making level of the Limit Martial Arts Academy as the ‘Invincible Warrior,’ and the news spread very quickly. Li Yao and Vina, a couple in Europe, were also the first to receive the notification from their friends.
…
In the hall of a quiet villa, Li Yao and Vina stood quietly waiting.
“Will that elder meet us?” Vina whispered.
“He will,” Li Yao’s eyes were cold as he stood there.
Seeing this, Vina sighed inwardly. Since the Fog Island incident, when Li Yao first returned, he drank crazily and was hysterical. Later, after sobering up, Li Yao became even more consumed by hatred, always thinking about revenge. Even his gaze made others feel fear. But… wanting to kill Luofeng, they didn’t have that kind of ability!
“Two of you.”
An old man in a suit upstairs said indifferently, “The master is upstairs waiting for you.”
Li Yao and Vina both felt a surge of excitement and quickly went upstairs. The old man in the suit said coldly, “Follow me.” He directly led the two to a quiet room, opened the door, and then silently walked away. Li Yao and Vina took a deep breath before stepping inside.
The quiet room was spacious.
Only a faint sandalwood fragrance filled the room. An old man with gray hair was sitting cross-legged in the room, his long hair cascading down to his waist, his whole body like a dead tree, devoid of any vitality.
“Senior.” Li Yao bowed.
“Yan Councilor.” Vina also bowed.
“Sit down.” A deep voice came. The old man with gray hair opened his eyes to look at Li Yao and Vina. His eyes were dull, like an old man about to die, showing no sign of a strong presence. However, Li Yao and Vina did not dare to be disrespectful.
Li Yao knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily, tears streaming down his face.
“Little Vulture, what’s wrong? What could make you cry?” the old man said calmly.
“Senior.” Li Yao gritted his teeth, his voice low and deep. “My only son was killed by a young man named Luofeng. I want revenge, to avenge my son! But I hate that I, Li Yao, am powerless. Luofeng has already become the ‘Invincible Warrior,’ and I am no match for him. But… my son…”
Li Yao clenched his fists, his fingers digging into his palms, his whole body trembling slightly.
“I lost my parents early, I have no other relatives.
“I don’t care about anything else in the world, but my son…” Vulture Li Yao’s voice trembled. He was cruel and earned the nickname Vulture. That was also due to the special experiences during the Great Calamity period that made him cruel, selfish, and cold. But deep in his heart, he desperately longed for family!
His only son…
His only obsession! He had raised him for over twenty years, and that bond had already penetrated his soul.
The more cruel, selfish, and cold a person is, the more they can become obsessed with a certain emotion, more than those who are emotionally rich! Because this is their only obsession!
“I beg you… Senior, please kill Luofeng. I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life to repay you.” Li Yao kowtowed, his head buried on the ground.
The old man silently looked at Li Yao.
Li Yao kept his head buried, waiting for the old man’s reply. Vina also kowtowed beside him.
“You and I have some connection, tell me… what is Luofeng’s background.” The old man said in a low voice.
Li Yao kept his head down and answered, “Luofeng is a peak mentalist at the High Warrior level, 19 years old, from Yangzhou City in Jiangnan Base City. He is now a high-ranking official of the Limit Martial Arts Academy and has been appointed as the ‘Inspector’ of the Jiangnan Base City branch of the Limit Martial Arts Academy.”
The old man slightly frowned.
“I can’t help you!” the old man said in a low voice.
Li Yao suddenly lifted his head, looking at the old man in disbelief… In his heart, this was his last straw. He and this super strong warrior had experienced the ‘Great Calamity Period’ together and had a special connection. Li Yao was selfish and cruel, but very proud, and had never begged this senior like this before.
“Because of Hong?” Li Yao couldn’t help but say.
“Yes.” The old man didn’t hesitate at all.
Although his strength was great, he had once competed for the position of Grand Councilor but failed.
However—
No one on Earth is a match for Hong. Hong is like a god, overlooking all the powerful beings! Perhaps only the Second Grand Councilor, ‘Thunder God,’ is slightly closer to Hong’s level. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grand Councilors don’t even have the courage to fight against Hong.
Let alone Yan Hai. Although he had a special connection with Li Yao, he wouldn’t go so far as to offend Hong.
A 19-year-old Invincible Warrior, even a fool could guess how much Hong valued him.
Li Yao clenched his fists so tightly that they made a hissing sound, his knuckles turned pale white, and blood flowed from his palms as he stared at the old man, filled with pain. Seeing this, the old man seemed to see the crazy teenager from the Great Calamity period, and sighed inwardly.
“Do you want to kill Luofeng at the cost of your life?” the old man said in a low voice.
“Yes.” Li Yao’s voice was firm.
“Then break through the Warrior level and become a being beyond Warriors,” the old man said indifferently. “Only then will you have the chance to kill him. Of course… you will face the wrath of Hong. Hong might value talent and spare you. But he might also be furious and kill you.”
Li Yao’s gaze was firm: “Please, Senior, guide me.”
“This is my training notes, including my training methods and my breakthrough experiences,” the old man took out a handwritten book from his chest. “I hope it can help you.” He then threw it over.
Li Yao reached out and caught it.
“Remember…”
“The key to breaking through and becoming a being beyond Warriors is ‘spirit’ and ‘willpower’,” the old man closed his eyes. “You may leave now!”
Li Yao and Vina both kowtowed in gratitude and then left.
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