“When you step into the Spirit-Returning Realm and connect with the bridge between heaven and earth, you’ll be able to fly too.” Lily Carter spoke offhandedly, as if it were a trivial matter. However, John Smith could clearly sense her distraction. Following her gaze, he saw that on the right side of the street was a side alley, at the end of which a crowd had gathered around a stage. A flag was planted on the stage, inscribed with: Martial Arts for Friendship.

That’s right, it was for making friends through martial arts, not a martial arts contest for marriage. It seemed quite common—many passersby didn’t even spare it a glance, showing just how ordinary and unremarkable such stages were.

At that moment, a burly man with a bristling beard let out a sharp shout on the stage. He lunged at his opponent from more than three meters away, throwing a straight punch. A vivid phantom of a fierce tiger appeared around him, his fist forming the tiger’s mouth, accompanied by a thunderous tiger’s roar. Its bloody maw and sharp fangs were clearly visible, exuding an awe-inspiring might.

His opponent was a young man in a brocade robe, who clearly didn’t want to take such a powerful blow head-on. He retreated half a step, turned sideways to dodge, and formed his palm into a knife, slashing diagonally at the burly man’s wrist. As he did so, a sharp whistling sound suddenly tore through the air, clashing violently with the tiger’s roar.

The air on the stage exploded, smoke scattering everywhere. Soon, the young man in the brocade robe was at a disadvantage, stumbling back several steps, his face alternating between pale and flushed. The burly man grinned, cupped his hands, and said, “Brother Jin, thank you for letting me win.”

The young man in the brocade robe forced a cupped-hands salute, then turned and left the stage, taking it in stride. The burly man raised his right hand high on the stage, basking in the praise of the onlookers below. Some people went to comfort the young man in the brocade robe. It seemed that such matches were so common that victory and defeat hardly mattered.

John Smith and Lily Carter’s convoy finally moved slowly past the alley entrance, no longer able to see what was happening there. Noticing that Lily Carter still seemed a bit absent-minded, John Smith couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Are they so strong that you feel pressured?”

Lily Carter murmured softly to herself, “Even a third-rate sect like Fierce Tiger Gate has produced a disciple in the Transformation stage, and his control of power is already quite refined—he’s grasped the essence of it, using force with momentum, quite impressive.”

John Smith listened, not fully understanding but feeling awed: “Are they really stronger than you?”

Lily Carter seemed to snap out of it and chuckled, “Of course they’re far inferior to me.”

“Then what are you so nervous about?”

“Because… if even third-rate sects can train such outstanding disciples, who knows how many talented seedlings the eight great righteous sects have? Maybe those so-called Ten Hidden Dragons really are stronger than me?” Lily Carter said softly, “I just have to work even harder.”

Seeing this always-smiling little girl rarely show such seriousness and worry, John Smith couldn’t help but comfort her: “You’re only thirteen or fourteen this year, right? Why compare yourself to those already famous Ten Hidden Dragons?”

“I am Lily Carter.” Lily Carter stopped, looked up, and gazed seriously into John Smith’s eyes. “The future of the sect rests on me. Only strength is the foundation of everything. Even falling half a step behind them is an unforgivable sin!”

This sudden change in tone made John Smith feel a bit out of place, but he couldn’t find the words to respond.

This girl really isn’t just a carefree, smiling little kid, nor just a heartless witch who digs out eyes at the drop of a hat… In that instant, she seemed quite beautiful to him…

But how to put it? She hadn’t even developed a chest yet, her shoulders were so slender they looked like they could be crushed with a single hand—her delicate appearance contrasted so sharply with this heavy sense of mission that it was almost suffocating.

John Smith couldn’t help but glance back at the carriage, wondering if Emily Smith had heard her disciple’s words, and what she thought of them.

She must be quite gratified, right?

John Smith shook his head and smiled, momentarily speechless.

Snippets of conversation from passersby on the street drifted into John Smith’s ears, making him feel once again out of place in this world—even his bystander’s mindset felt out of sync… Just listen to this bizarre exchange:

“Ah, Brother Zhang, you look so cheerful—did something good happen?”

“My son passed the Seven Mysteries Valley’s test yesterday and became an outer disciple!”

“That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

“Haha, same to you, same to you.”

……

“Brother Li, I’ve gained some insights from meditating on ‘White Clouds Emerge from the Peaks’ recently. Shall we find a place tonight to spar and test our skills?”

“That sounds great! I’ll prepare a little wine at home tonight. Wouldn’t it be delightful to drink and discuss martial arts together?”

……

“Hey, Mr. Johnson, I heard you’ve been in seclusion for days. How’s your training going?”

“Not bad. Tonight I’ll go to Hundred Flowers Courtyard and show off in front of Little Lotus—guaranteed to make that lady’s heart flutter.”

The more John Smith listened, the more speechless he became. Damn, even visiting a brothel here is about showing off your martial arts? Just imagining the scene was too much—he was at a loss for words.

Wait a minute… Hundred Flowers Courtyard, why does that sound so familiar?

He tentatively asked Lily Carter, “Earlier, when you mentioned profit and loss, you brought up Hundred Flowers Courtyard?”

“Mm-hmm.” Lily Carter’s thoughts also drifted away from that sense of mission, and she nodded with a bright smile. “That’s one of our businesses in the capital.”

John Smith pressed for confirmation: “A brothel?”