Practiced boxing for a long time.
It wasn't until close to noon that Lin Zhao was still absorbed in his boxing, completely immersed in a state of selflessness. As he practiced, he felt a sense of oneness with heaven and earth. At a certain moment, a gentle breeze suddenly arose, and then Lin Zhao heard a familiar sound in his ears.
It was the white ape!
He quickly composed himself, abruptly retracted his boxing intent, and leaped into the air. His eyes scanned the dense forest below, searching for the old herbalist and the white ape.
His martial arts mentor, Mr. Bai, had been unseen for too long.
Alas, the mountains and forests were vast and silent; Mr. Bai's trace was nowhere to be found, nor was the white ape's.
"Sigh..."
He sighed and spun back to the cliff top, a sense of inexplicable melancholy settling in his heart. At this very moment, a strand of boxing intent slowly bloomed in the wind, swirling around Lin Zhao.
Another strand of transcendent, chaotic boxing intent. Without a doubt, it was the boxing intent that Mr. Bai had left in the mountains. Now, it had been summoned by Lin Zhao's focused practice, appearing in the wind. As for the white ape's cry, it was perhaps just a lingering wisp of consciousness mixed within the boxing intent.
"Thank you, Mr. Bai!"
Lin Zhao solemnly cupped his fists in a martial salute towards the cliff. Then, he raised his hand and drew the boxing intent into his palm. After that, he continued his practice, needing to refine this strand of boxing intent as quickly as possible.
At noon, Dong Zang and Liu Liying brought lunch. Lin Zhao's physical exertion during boxing was extremely rapid, so this meal was essential. They sat on the ground and ate heartily before he instructed the two to head down the mountain. Lin Zhao, meanwhile, continued his boxing practice.
The progress was extremely smooth. By late afternoon, the strand of boxing intent had been completely refined and merged into Lin Zhao's own boxing intent. The moment it was fully refined, he suddenly felt a lightness throughout his body. The Fire Dragon Seal within him surged awake, engulfing him in a torrent of profound true qi.
It was here. He had broken through!
He abruptly stood up and looked at the sky, a sudden sense of enlightenment washing over him.
In the next moment, Lin Zhao clenched his fists, and strands of powerful martial artist aura burst forth from his body. At long last, he broke through to the Seventh Realm, the Chaoyuan Realm martial artist!
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on successfully stepping into the Martial Artist [Chaoyuan Realm], with the following effects: Agility +70, Stamina +140, Tenacity +70, Health Regeneration +60%, Critical Hit Resistance +25%, Physical Damage Effect +30%. When attacked, 30% of damage taken will be converted into HP. There is a 10% chance to trigger True Damage when attacking!
...
Lin Zhao carefully examined the bonuses for the Seventh Realm martial artist, and his heart was filled with increasing awe. It was becoming more and more heaven-defying. He didn't even need to mention Agility, Stamina, Critical Hit Resistance, etc. The 10% chance of true damage alone was completely outrageous, and this was only the Seventh Realm!
In the future, as he continued to break through to the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Realms, and then to the Upper Five Realms martial artists? By the time he reached the Thirteenth Realm martial artist, the chance of true damage would likely be at least 50%!
At that point, when Lin Zhao unleashed a barrage of flying swords, with a 50% chance of triggering true damage that ignored the opponent's armor, defensive skills, damage reduction, and artifact mitigation, wouldn't he be unstoppable?
He rubbed his forehead and chuckled, feeling a hint of helplessness. He couldn't be blamed for having heaven-defying stats. He didn't want to be in a league of his own among players, and frankly, Lin Zhao had no desire for PvP with other players. It was meaningless. The twists and turns of the martial world were what he enjoyed, and he preferred an immersive experience within the plot, truly appreciating the charm of this world. That was what he couldn't let go of.
As it turned out, his desires were fulfilled. Lin Zhao had set his sights too far, to the point where he had become the foremost among players. Moreover, the benefits he gained from his plot connections were unimaginable. For instance, the dual cultivation of sword cultivator and martial artist, which he was currently undertaking, was something other players couldn't even dream of.
In fact, other top-tier players had considered cultivating martial arts realms. For example, Yi Shi Cang Liang and Jian Huang had both encountered the possibility of transitioning to martial arts through their sect missions. However, they couldn't even pass the introductory tasks, as these required a foundation in boxing. Neither of them understood it at all.
It was impossible to truly find a master and practice boxing in real life, wasn't it? And there was no time for that.
After breaking through to the Seventh Realm martial artist, Lin Zhao took a deep breath and planned to proceed slowly, aiming to break through to the Eighth Realm in the shortest possible time. Once he returned to the Eighth Realm martial artist, it would fulfill a long-held wish for Lin Zhao. In the era of the young Lin Zhao, he had created an era with his Eighth Realm martial artist cultivation. Returning to the Eighth Realm now was imperative.
However, with the world undergoing such drastic changes this time, what could he accomplish?
He pushed these thoughts aside. Sitting cross-legged, he cultivated the Eternal Sword Scripture for nearly 50 minutes, exhausting his character's mental energy. He then logged off to accompany Murong Feiyue, Chen Xue, Ning Yu, and Mo Chenxue for a late-night snack before beginning the New Year's Eve vigil.
The living room was warm thanks to the underfloor heating, so it didn't feel cold.
On the television, a Spring Festival gala was playing, which he found rather uninteresting.
Chen Xue said, "We can't just sit here and keep vigil. How about a game of cards?"
"Sure."
Lin Zhao got up, took out a deck of cards from a drawer in the TV cabinet, and they all started playing.
Initially, Wang Ju had brought Xiao Juzi to stay nearby, intending to join the vigil. However, after midnight, Xiao Juzi became so sleepy that she was nodding off. Lin Zhao smiled and told Wang Ju to take Xiao Juzi to sleep.
They played cards until around three in the morning.
Mo Chenxue also couldn't stay awake any longer, yawning repeatedly.
"Xiao Xue, go to sleep."
Lin Zhao said with a smile, "We can't really stay up all night. Customs are customs, but health is most important."
"Okay."
Mo Chenxue got up, "Brother, I'll go to bed now."
"Go on, go on."
Lin Zhao continued shuffling the cards. Soon, everyone started to feel tired.
"Xiao Zhao."
Murong Feiyue looked at Lin Zhao and asked, "What's the current scale of Feiyue Transportation?"
Lin Zhao replied without hesitation, "We have two Chiyou-class patrol cruisers, exactly 30 Yunying-class transport aircraft, a total of 80 anti-radiation infantry fighting vehicles, and 120 sets of Yan Emperor-class individual combat armor. The escort combat fleet should now have over 900 personnel, and the ground logistics personnel exceed 2,000."
He paused and continued, "The escort combat fleet is primarily managed by Huo Dao, while ground logistics and overall business operations are handled by Su Wan. Currently, everything is running very smoothly. We're taking on larger and larger orders and have established long-term cooperative relationships with many factions."
"Hmm, that's good."
Murong Feiyue smiled and nodded, "Starting from scratch and achieving this... it's truly remarkable. It seems that this game, hailed as the 'Second World,' 'Tian Xia,' truly holds many treasures!"
Chen Xue chuckled, "Lin Zhao is the undisputed number one in 'Tian Xia.' He has the strongest character relationships and has gained the most fortuitous encounters. That's why he can defeat bosses that others can't. He made a fortune during the previous few events, which led to Feiyue Transportation's current scale."
"Yes."
Murong Feiyue nodded, "It's good that the business is growing. However, you two must also be careful. The more profit you make, the more envy you attract. This world is not peaceful, and as Feiyue Transportation expands, you are bound to infringe upon the interests of others. Therefore, you must have plenty of powerful weapons."
Ning Yu added, "The escort fleet needs to be further strengthened. Otherwise, even if local magnates with heavy troops don't bother you, mercenary groups operating independently will definitely want to take a large bite out of Feiyue Transportation."
"No way?"
Lin Zhao frowned, "Our newly built large hangar at Feiyue Transportation houses two Chiyou-class light cruisers... Do those mercenary groups really dare to attack?"
"Not necessarily."
Murong Feiyue said, "Even though you have Chiyou-class ships, and others know you have them, no one knows their true power. Having a sword is one thing, but its deterrent is definitely not as effective as wielding it once. When Feiyue Transportation's profits become substantial enough, the Chiyou-class ships will inevitably need to fire."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded, "I'll have Huo Dao pay attention and focus on protecting the shipping lanes. With two Chiyou-class ships, we'll always ensure at least one is operational."
"That's right."
Murong Feiyue clapped her hands and took a small bag of biscuits, "Everyone go back to your rooms and sleep. Leng Yan is coming to pay New Year's greetings tomorrow morning, so we don't have much time left for sleep."
"Okay."
Everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
...
The next morning, around nine o'clock.
Lin Zhao, Chen Xue, Murong Feiyue, and Ning Yu were already awake. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Lin Zhao took out a stack of red envelopes from his pocket, which he had specially prepared with money. Each envelope contained 6666 universal coins, symbolizing good fortune in the coming year.
"Cough cough..."
Lin Zhao, acting like a parental figure, cleared his throat and said, "As the leader of the Feiyue Knights, every companion who stays at the studio for the New Year will receive a red envelope. It's not a large sum, just for good luck. Xiao Xue, this one's yours."
Mo Chenxue accepted the red envelope with a delighted expression, "Thank you, Brother!"
"Axue, yours. And Xiao Juzi, yours. Sister Juzi, you have one too!"
Lin Zhao distributed the red envelopes one by one, and everyone felt like they had struck it rich.
"What about me?"
Murong Feiyue, wearing a coffee-colored woolen coat, crossed her arms. Her chest was almost overflowing. As a commander in the Eastern Theater of the Huaxia region, her demeanor was exceptional. She raised an eyebrow slightly, "Don't play favorites. I'm also the former leader, and now the honorary leader of the Feiyue Knights!"
"Alright, alright."
Lin Zhao handed her a red envelope with a smile, "This is for my elder sister!"
"Heh heh!"
Murong Feiyue's status in reality was not unlike that of a feudal lord, so she wouldn't particularly care about the meager 6666 universal coins. However, after receiving the red envelope, her face clearly showed her joy. It was genuine joy. The most delightful thing in the world was getting something for free.
"Sister Ning Yu, you have one too."
Lin Zhao presented the red envelope with both hands, and Ning Yu also smiled.
...
Shortly after, an enhanced Yunying-class vertical take-off and landing aircraft slowly descended onto the open space outside the Feiyue Knights' studio. As the cargo door opened, Leng Yan, the young lady of the Xu family from Ningcheng, dressed in a skirt and warm stockings, jumped out.
Leng Yan was secretly a little pleased with herself. The timing was perfect, neither too early nor too late.
Too early would disturb Lin Zhao's rest, while too late would seem like trying to get a free lunch, especially on the first day of the Lunar New Year, when it was more customary to eat at home.