"But still," Yao Ziyan continued, "since your aptitude has improved, breaking through to the next realm should be much easier now."
Jiang Shengjun nodded in agreement. "That's right! Which is why I'm going to challenge the battle mode today. Let's see if I can make a breakthrough in one go! After all these days, even Bu Lige is catching up to me."
Bu Lige smirked, brushing a hand through his hair. "Heh, what can I say? This young master was born talented."
Jiang Shengjun rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."
The group laughed before settling into their usual routine—logging into the virtual world.
Though their aptitudes had improved, their daily training wasn't something they would neglect.
At this point, playing games in Origin Mall was no longer just a pastime—
It was cultivation.
---
Time passed, and new customers arrived.
Zhou Hu and his crew stepped into the alley, their usual energetic presence filling the quiet space.
But this time—
They had a new companion.
Beside them walked a bald man—Zhang Yu.
The very same Zhang Yu who had challenged Zhou Hu before.
Among mercenaries, grudges were rarely held for long.
They fought, they tested each other, and they earned each other's respect.
So, when Zhou Hu told Zhang Yu that he had learned his Overlord Fist from a game,
Zhang Yu's reaction was—
Exactly what you'd expect from a normal person.
---
"You're kidding, right?" Zhang Yu had said, crossing his arms. "You seriously expect me to believe that?"
Even though Zhang Yu looked like an honest man, honesty didn't mean naïve.
Learning profound martial techniques from a game?
What kind of joke was that?
Zhou Hu had been outraged.
"You don't believe me?! Fine! Come see for yourself!"
And so, here they were.
---
"That's the place." Zhou Hu gestured towards the narrow alleyway leading to Origin Mall.
Zhang Yu frowned.
"Brother Zhou… are you messing with me?" He eyed the dimly lit alley with suspicion. "What kind of business opens in such a hidden place? Is this boss—"
He hesitated.
Then, lowering his voice, he muttered, "—not very good at running a shop or something…?"
Silence.
The moment those words left his mouth—
Zhou Hu and his men froze.
Their faces turned pale.
Then—
"Are you crazy?!"
Before Zhang Yu could react, Zhou Hu lunged forward and slammed a hand over his mouth, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
"Mmph?!" Zhang Yu struggled, but Zhou Hu held firm.
The other mercenaries broke into cold sweat.
Zhang Yu was still confused—until he noticed them nervously glancing into the alley.
There was nothing there, but their expressions said it all—
They were terrified.
---
Only after confirming that no disaster had struck, Zhou Hu let go, exhaling in relief.
Zhang Yu, now thoroughly irritated, glared at him. "Brother Zhou, what the hell was that for?"
Zhou Hu sighed, placing a firm hand on Zhang Yu's shoulder.
"Brother Zhang Yu… let me give you some advice." His tone was solemn.
"The boss of Origin Mall… his strength is unfathomable. You must never speak carelessly about him."
The other mercenaries nodded furiously in agreement.
"Yes, yes, yes! The boss's shop being in a remote alley—it's not because he lacks business sense!"
"That's right!"
"It's called—"
"Hiding in plain sight!"
Zhou Hu nodded sagely. "Exactly. The boss doesn't need to be in some grand location. True power doesn't flaunt itself."
They spoke with such serious conviction that Zhang Yu—who had initially been skeptical—
…found himself wavering.
"…I see." He hesitated, then nodded.
Zhou Hu had already warned him about this place—
Told him about the mysterious boss, about how even the heavens bowed to him.
And now, hearing them all speak in such reverent tones,
Zhang Yu couldn't help but feel—
A little uneasy.
---
After another round of warnings, ensuring Zhang Yu wouldn't say anything reckless again, the group finally stepped into the alley.
Zhou Hu pointed toward the man basking in the sunlight outside the shop.
"That's the boss."
Zhang Yu followed his gaze.
There, seated lazily, was a young man with an unremarkable appearance.
Dressed in simple robes, eyes half-closed in contentment, he looked no different from an ordinary person lounging on a lazy afternoon.
Zhang Yu blinked.
"…This is the boss?"
He furrowed his brows.
"There doesn't seem to be anything special about him…"
---
Zhang Yu wasn't arrogant, but he wasn't weak either.
He had reached the pinnacle of Fatebound Ascension, placing him among the strongest mercenaries in Nine Stars City.
Yet—
Even standing right in front of the so-called boss,
He felt nothing.
No pressure.
No spiritual energy fluctuations.
Nothing that even remotely suggested he was facing a powerful cultivator.
He felt like he was looking at—
An ordinary mortal.
Zhang Yu frowned.
Did I get tricked?