Chapter Twenty-Two: Thunderbolt Martial Arts Hall

"Haha, don't be nervous. I just want to have a simple chat with you." The burly man laughed heartily.

Luo Yuan signaled Luo Feng with his eyes to relax. Once both of them were seated, the burly man began to speak.

"I've looked into your family backgrounds—you both come from ordinary families, and Luo Yuan, you're even an orphan. You haven't had many advantages, yet you've managed to reach this stage by the age of eighteen. That's truly remarkable."

Luo Yuan frowned slightly at those words; he disliked having his orphan status brought up.

"I admire you both very much, and I believe you have great potential."

"That's why I am formally inviting you to join my Thunderbolt Martial Arts Academy," the burly man said solemnly, looking intently at the two of them.

"Uh, we've already signed contracts with the Limitless Martial Arts Academy," Luo Yuan replied, shaking his head.

The burly man waved a hand dismissively. "A contract? If it's just a contract, it can be broken! It only takes paying a penalty fee. According to martial artists' regulations, the penalty can't be higher than three hundred million. I believe you're worth far more than that! Thunderbolt Martial Arts Academy will pay the penalty fee for you!"

"Moreover, after you join us, I'll arrange for you to receive elite training at our global headquarters!"

"As long as you join us, I'll give you such a contract. You'll be sent to our global headquarters for training, and you might even have a chance to receive personal guidance from the legendary 'Thunder God' himself," the burly man continued with a smile. "Luo Yuan, Luo Feng, Thunderbolt Martial Arts Academy sincerely invites you—won't you join us?"

Watching the burly man make his impassioned pitch, Luo Yuan couldn't help but feel amused. It was true—those in leadership always knew how to make grand promises to win people over.

"Sorry," Luo Yuan said at last. "Thank you for the invitation, but I've already joined the Limitless Martial Arts Academy and have never considered leaving. The instructors and supervisors there have treated me well, and whatever conditions you can offer, they can too. I'm truly sorry."

"I feel the same," Luo Feng chimed in beside him.

"Aren't you going to reconsider?" the burly man frowned, his eyes sharp.

"No need," Luo Yuan replied, rising to his feet, with Luo Feng quickly following.

"Mr. Wang, if there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now."

Faced with such temptation, these two young men didn't waver in the slightest. Wang Heng couldn't help but feel a pang of admiration. He waved them off with a smile. "Alright, I won't try to persuade you. If you ever change your minds, the doors of Thunderbolt Martial Arts Academy will always be open to you."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang." Luo Yuan and Luo Feng nodded and immediately took their leave.

...

At the northern military district of Jiangnan Base City, Luo Yuan and Luo Feng, now dressed in their own clothes, walked along with Yang Wu, chatting and laughing.

"Haha, now that you've both passed the combat assessment, aren't you going to call your families to share the good news?" Luo Yuan said to Luo Feng and Yang Wu with a smile.

"That's right." Yang Wu nodded happily.

Luo Feng and Yang Wu both dialed their families to share the joyous news. Watching the pride and happiness on their faces, Luo Yuan felt a twinge of envy. As someone with no family, who could he share his feelings with?

...

In Yangzhou City, one of the eight satellite cities of Jiangnan Base, within the Mingyue Community.

Luo Yuan smiled as he watched Luo Feng's family celebrating in front of Villa 199, then headed to his own Villa 200. He and Luo Feng were neighbors—perhaps not a coincidence but an arrangement by the Limitless Martial Arts Academy, though Luo Yuan didn't dwell on it.

Arriving at his door, Luo Yuan was surprised to find Wang Qian, that captivating woman, standing there holding a bottle of red wine and two goblets. She certainly did love her wine.

"Luo Yuan, congratulations on passing the combat assessment and officially becoming a martial artist," Wang Qian said with a smile.

"Thank you. What brings you here?" Luo Yuan asked as he opened the door, preparing to go inside.

"Luo Yuan, to celebrate your becoming a martial artist, why don’t we have a drink together?" Wang Qian said, swirling the wine in her hand, her eyes full of alluring intent.

"Is that really appropriate? It's late at night, just the two of us alone in a room. Aren't you afraid I might do something to you?" Luo Yuan grinned at her, letting his gaze roam boldly over her figure. She didn't mind in the least; instead, she thrust out her chest, making Luo Yuan feel a touch embarrassed.

"Come in, but remember—just drinks, nothing else," Luo Yuan cautioned her seriously.

They went up to the cinema room on the second floor, sipping red wine and watching a movie. Luo Yuan felt utterly relaxed, thinking to himself that sometimes, having company really was a good thing. After being alone for so long, even he could feel lonely.

The next morning, Luo Yuan woke up groggy in his bedroom. He rubbed his aching head, recalling the wildness of the previous night. He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed—what had Wang Qian put in that wine? Even with his intermediate War General-level strength, he’d still fallen for it.

"You're awake. Come have breakfast," Wang Qian said, entering with a tray of bread, eggs, and milk, dressed only in Luo Yuan's white shirt, her long legs exposed.

"What did you do to me last night?" Luo Yuan asked, fixing his gaze on her.

She licked her lips and smiled. "Hehe, what else? We did exactly what a man and a woman should do."

"Did you put something in the wine?" he pressed.

"No, the wine was infused with treasures from a Lord-level Blackcloud Tiger. It cost me quite a bit to get. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for you," Wang Qian answered, still smiling seductively.

"But this was my body's first time," Luo Yuan frowned. In his previous life, he hadn't been some innocent youth, but he'd been single for a long time and had grown indifferent to matters of romance.

"Heh, it was my first time too," Wang Qian said, patting the bloodstain on the bedsheet. Luo Yuan stared in surprise at her frankness.

"Why?" Luo Yuan asked as he got dressed. Perhaps because he'd entered a state of philosophical detachment, his mood was calm.

"Because I believe in your future," Wang Qian replied. She felt a pang in her heart at the calmness in his eyes—she sensed no affection from him.

Luo Yuan simply smiled at her words.

After breakfast, Wang Qian left, and Luo Yuan entered the cinema room on the second floor.

Now that he was an official martial artist at the Limitless Martial Arts Academy, he could log in to the internal fighters' network.

"Home of the Limitless," Luo Yuan typed in the website address.

Immediately, one wall of the cinema room lit up with a massive two-hundred-inch screen displaying the "Home of the Limitless" site.

"Beep." Luo Yuan verified his fingerprint.

Beautiful music flowed through the room like a gentle stream as his personal profile appeared on the enormous screen, featuring his photo and a table of information—

Name: Luo Yuan
Gender: Male
Address: Jiangnan Base City, Huaxia
Martial Artist ID: 426123205608010001
Rank: Warrior-level (Junior)
Contribution Points: 0
Account Balance: 20,000,000 Huaxia credits

"Twenty million Huaxia credits—just as the Limitless Martial Arts Academy promised for starting funds. And there's also a two-hundred-million reimbursement quota. I'd better think carefully about what to purchase," Luo Yuan mused, stroking his chin.

P.S. Dear true gods, please support with tips, monthly votes, and favorites. Luo Yuan humbly bows to you.