Level 47 was already Quasi-Grandmaster status in the Federation, and among the younger generation, it was absolutely top-tier.
’But in the True Dragon Star Realm, in an environment with fifteen hundred Grandmasters, what did that amount to?’
’And that wasn’t even mentioning the "Star Realm competition" Shen Jin had brought up, which required "top-tier Grandmasters" who could fight on behalf of the Federation.’
’The road ahead was still long.’
Xu Wuyi lay down and pulled the thin blanket over himself.
’I’ll rest for now.’
’Tomorrow, I’ll go back to Red River City, process what I’ve learned from this battle, and continue my training, moving forward one step at a time.’
He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually steadying.
At six in the evening, Steward Chen knocked on the door right on time.
Xu Wuyi was already awake and washing his face with cold water in the bathroom. After being unconscious for a day and a night, plus half a day of rest, his Spiritual Power had recovered to about seventy percent, and much of the color had returned to his face.
He changed back into the casual clothes he had worn on arrival, then pushed the door open and went out.
Steward Chen was waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, he smiled. "Did you rest well, Martial Artist Xu?"
"Very well, thank you, Steward Chen."
"Excellent. Dinner is ready. The master and his disciples are waiting in the dining room. Please, follow me."
The dining room was a spacious room on the east side of the first floor. In the center was a rectangular mahogany dining table that could seat more than a dozen people.
Shen Jin sat at the head of the table, having changed into dark blue casual clothes. His complexion looked even better than it had that afternoon.
Five people were seated to his left and right, three of whom Xu Wuyi recognized:
Qin Qinghe, Hong Nianyi, and another of Shen Jin’s disciples whom he had met at the hospital during the day. The other two were a man and a woman, both around thirty years old.
When Xu Wuyi entered, everyone stood up.
"Martial Artist Xu." Qin Qinghe was the first to speak, his tone even warmer than it had been during the day. "Please, have a seat."
Shen Jin pointed to the empty seat on his right. "Come, sit here."
It was the seat of honor.
Xu Wuyi didn’t refuse. He walked over to the seat and sat down. Steward Chen silently withdrew, closing the dining room door behind him.
"Everyone’s here now." Shen Jin surveyed the group and said, "This is Xu Wuyi; I don’t need to give him a lengthy introduction. The rest of you, introduce yourselves."
The female Martial Artist sitting across from Xu Wuyi spoke first. "Greetings, Martial Artist Xu. My name is Song Qingyue. I am our teacher’s third disciple, and I currently serve in the Eastern War Zone."
The male Martial Artist next to her followed. "Greetings, Martial Artist Xu. I’m Wang Zhenshan, the fourth disciple, stationed on the Northern Domain front."
The other two disciples Xu Wuyi didn’t know also introduced themselves in turn: the fifth-ranked, Sun Rui, and the sixth-ranked, Li Wanzhou.
Including Qin Qinghe and Hong Nianyi, all of Shen Jin’s disciples currently in Xingjing were now present.
"Alright, now you’re all acquainted." Shen Jin picked up his chopsticks. "Let’s eat. We can talk as we eat."
The dinner was plentiful but not extravagant. It was a spread of home-style dishes, with tea served instead of alcohol.
Shen Jin had never married and had no children. He lived a solitary life and never touched alcohol, so his disciples naturally followed his example and drank tea.
The atmosphere was a bit formal at first, but after a few bites of food, the conversation started to flow as they discussed their recent circumstances.
Song Qingyue was in charge of a special ops team in the Eastern War Zone, recently tasked with mopping up the remaining Feathered People forces. Wang Zhenshan was stationed on the Northern Domain front, where harassment from the Insect Race was becoming more and more frequent.
Sun Rui and Li Wanzhou worked in the Internal Affairs Department and the Research Institute, respectively. Though their fields were different, both were providing support for the front lines.
As one of the youngest Grandmasters, Qin Qinghe carried an even heavier burden. He not only participated in high-level decision-making but was also responsible for defending parts of Xingjing.
Hong Nianyi had relatively more freedom, but he also held a position in the military and occasionally carried out special missions.
Xu Wuyi listened quietly, rarely interjecting.
He could sense that although Shen Jin’s disciples had different personalities, they all shared a similar quality: they were steady, pragmatic, and shouldered their responsibilities.
This was perhaps the result of Shen Jin’s teaching by word and deed.
Dinner lasted nearly an hour.
By the time it ended, the sky outside was completely dark, and the landscape lights in the courtyard had turned on.
The disciples began to take their leave one after another. They each had their own duties and could not stay for long.
Before leaving, Qin Qinghe repeated solemnly to Xu Wuyi, "Martial Artist Xu, if you need anything in the future, feel free to contact me at any time."
Xu Wuyi nodded.
In the end, only Shen Jin and Xu Wuyi remained.
Steward Chen came in to clear the table. Shen Jin rose to his feet. "Come on. Let’s take a walk in the courtyard and walk off the meal."
The two of them walked out of the main building and into the rear courtyard.
The rear courtyard of Quiet Mountain Villa was even larger than the front, planted with numerous flowers, plants, and trees. In the center was a small pond, its surface shimmering in the night.
The evening breeze swept by, carrying the faint chill of early spring.
"You’re heading back to Red River City tomorrow?" Shen Jin asked.
"Yes, I’m leaving in the morning," Xu Wuyi said. "My parents are waiting for me, and I need to continue my training."
"It’s good that you’re going back," Shen Jin nodded. "There’s too much trouble here in Xingjing. You’re in the spotlight right now, and staying here will only attract problems. Red River City is quiet, a good place to settle down and reflect."
The two of them walked slowly along the bluestone path.
"You looked at the internal network this afternoon, didn’t you?" Shen Jin suddenly asked.
"I did," Xu Wuyi answered truthfully. "The intelligence on the True Dragon Star Realm was very detailed, but I couldn’t find anything about the ’competition’ part."
"It’s only right that you couldn’t find anything," Shen Jin said with a smile. "It’s one of the Federation’s highest secrets; fewer than twenty people know about it. I’m already making an exception by telling you this much."
He stopped and looked at Xu Wuyi. "But you don’t need to be in a hurry. When the time comes for you to know, you will. What you need to do now is just keep getting stronger."
"I understand," Xu Wuyi said.
Shen Jin clapped him on the shoulder and said no more.
They walked around the courtyard for a while longer before returning to the main building.
Steward Chen had already prepared a guest room. Xu Wuyi had intended to take his leave and return to his hotel, but Shen Jin insisted he stay. "It’s so late, don’t go to all that trouble. It’ll be more convenient to have Old Chen drive you to the airport tomorrow morning."
Xu Wuyi had no choice but to agree.
Xu Wuyi woke up right on time the next morning.
When he came downstairs after washing up, Steward Chen was already waiting in the living room. "Martial Artist Xu, breakfast is ready. Please eat before you go."
Breakfast was a simple meal of congee and steamed buns. Shen Jin was already at the dining table and motioned for him to sit down when he came downstairs.
The two of them finished their breakfast in silence.
At 7:30, Steward Chen drove Xu Wuyi to the airport.
As he was leaving, Shen Jin stood at the entrance of the main building and said one last thing: "Train well. We will meet again."
"Yes. Take care, Grandmaster Shen."
The car pulled out of Quiet Mountain Villa and merged into the morning rush-hour traffic.
At nine in the morning, Xu Wuyi boarded a military transport plane back to Linjiang.
He was the only passenger in the cabin; it was a special flight arranged by Wu Dingbo. After confirming his identity, a crew member left him undisturbed, letting him sit alone by the window.
The transport plane took off and broke through the clouds.
Xu Wuyi watched as Xingjing City gradually shrank outside his window, his heart perfectly calm.
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