99th Floor of the Endless Wealth Tower.
Xia Zhenxue looked around with interest. This was the first time she had stepped onto the 99th Floor, rumored to be a secret area within the Endless Wealth Tower.
Only those with a Trust Level of 9 were allowed to pass through the formation’s barriers that separated the 90th floor and above from the others.
However, unlike what she imagined a secret area would be like, the 90th floor and above looked just like the other floors—except they were sparsely populated, with fewer than a hundred people using them.
"By the way, Congratulations on becoming a True Body cultivator already," Xia Zhenxue said in a slothful tone.
"There is nothing to congratulate. Just breaking through the True Body realm is nothing," Lan Yueli said as she walked forward, leading Xia Zhenxue through the corridor.
"So, in the place where you came from, True Body cultivators are not considered much, are they?" Xia Zhenxue said.
"You can just follow me quietly," Lan Yueli said in a moody tone. She had no intention of befriending this woman.
She was quite annoyed that she had to act like a messenger instead of leveling her skill, as she was close to fulfilling the requirements to advance her mana level to Rank 4.
"That's not very polite," Xia Zhenxue said. She did not expect an apology since she was already used to the attitude of these company's core members. They did not think highly of the cultivators on this continent.
She followed Lan Yueli quietly, and they stopped before a door that had a nameplate on it:
"Director of the Intelligence Department."
Lan Yueli stopped for a moment as she sent a sound transmission to the one behind the door, before she pushed the door open and led Xia Zhenxue inside.
Lan Yueli stepped aside and sat on the sofa in the back corner of the room.
"Take a seat," Lan Xiaorong said to Xia Zhenxue while acting mysterious.
Xia Zhenxue's expression turned grim as she remembered well that this man was the one who had effortlessly defeated her.
She stepped forward and took a seat before the obsidian stone desk.
"Do you know why I called you here?" Lan Xiaorong asked, his voice calm.
"No, please enlighten me," Xia Zhenxue replied. She didn't understand what the other side wanted from her.
"Do you remember your mission?" Lan Xiaorong asked.
Xia Zhenxue was confused and replied,
"Yes, I do. My mission is to raise my strength. become strong enough to lead my Xia Clan against the Blood Fiend Sect."
Lan Xiaorong nodded and said, "This is why I called you here."
"Pardon, I don't understand. Did I misunderstand something?" Xia Zhenxue said with confusion as she sensed the atmosphere around the director had changed. She could guess the reason she was here was not good.
Lan Xiaorong shook his head and said,
"No, your mission is as you've stated, but I called you here because you clearly don't know what needs to be done to accomplish it."
Lan Xiaorong did not let the woman remain confused; he continued,
"I have access to what people exchange from the company. Here it shows you used 50,000 Wealth Points to exchange for an Ice Purification Crystal."
"Is there anything wrong with the treasure?" Xia Zhenxue asked.
"No, the treasure itself is fine; I’m referring to your use of Wealth Points. They should have been exchanged for something that could aid you in reestablishing your cultivation base, not for some treasure!" Lan Xiaorong slammed his hand on the desk!
Xia Zhenxue was startled; she hadn't expected the other side to suddenly turn aggressive.
"Please explain. How was my choice wrong? If I use this treasure to advance my spirit core, my cultivation speed and strength will considerably rise," Xia Zhenxue said, not backing down.
She was the daughter of a noble dynastic clan—how could she tolerate this level of rudeness without retaliation?
Lan Xiaorong smirked when he heard her arrogant and nonsensical words, then replied.
"You don't seem to understand, let me show you then."
Lan Xiaorong tapped his desk, and then, a transparent display—like an employee ID card, but it was not—appeared above the desk, revealing itself to all three people in the room.
"Simulator Formation?" Xia Zhenxue exclaimed in surprise, as she did not expect that there would be a Simulator Formation installed within this room.
The Simulator Formation was one of the things that filled her with awe at the company’s true origins. She could only imagine what kind of background was capable of using such a profound formation to train their cultivators.
This mysterious simulator formation could pull her consciousness into an illusory mind space—the simulated world, which could set the landscape or else as she pleases.
This simulated world could also perfectly replicate her cultivation realm, all her techniques, and even her divine bloodline was not an exception.
She often used this formation whenever she had the opportunity, training herself in various situations without risking her life. It was very useful— even when she was saving her Wealth Points to exchange for treasure, she still had to spend some on it.
"Xia Zhenxue, why don't you have a spar with Yueli? You may understand my words better," Lan Xiaorong said.
Xia Zhenxue's lazy eyes lifted.
"Are you sure, Director? I can sense she just broke through to the True Body realm and hasn't even stabilized her True Qi yet," Xia Zhenxue said.
Lan Yueli, who had been listening quietly, suddenly said.
"To handle you, I don't even need to be serious." She spoke in a mocking tone.
Xia Zhenxue didn't mind Lan Yueli's mock. In her mind, this woman is just arrogant and full of herself because of her great origin. She waited for Lan Xiaorong to answer.
"I am sure. I will also set the battlefield as the Snow Mountain for your advantage," Lan Xiaorong said. He was very confident that Yueli would come out on top against this woman who didn’t even know the basics.
Xia Zhenxue felt anger—these people looked down on her too much!
"If that's what you suggest, then let's spar," Xia Zhenxue said.
Lan Xiaorong smirked. He wanted to teach this proud woman to be humble and know her place.
He began setting up the simulation, choosing a battlefield atop a snow mountain. Then, he activated the simulator formation, pulling everyone's consciousness within the room into the simulated world.
Xia Zhenxue sensed that her surroundings were changing into a snowy field. Extending her Divine Sense, she realized she was truly atop a snow mountain, just as Lan Xiaorong had stated.
She couldn’t help but furrow her brows; she now could tell that these people didn’t truly take her seriously—they weren’t just trying to intimidate her.
"The spar will be a full-force battle—three rounds, each ending by death or surrender," Lan Xiaorong explained the rules.
"Is there anything you want to ask before we start?" Lan Xiaorong said to Xia Zhenxue.
"Yes. What exactly is the reason I have to go through this?" Xia Zhenxue asked calmly, not intending to test the waters.
Lan Xiaorong sensed her intention. He didn't bother trying to mess with her mind and answered truthfully.
"The reason is to make you understand what you are lacking," he said.
Xia Zhenxue nodded. She understood what the other side meant—he was saying she was weak.
But that was only in comparison to him, a genius sword cultivator from the Upper Realm.
In her mind, she is already strong; very few cultivators in the same generation, in the same cultivation realm as her, could compare to her.
Her solid cultivation base, the profound techniques inherited from the Great North Empire, her life-and-death experiences from a thousand years of wandering, and the Divine Bloodline that set her apart.
In the Seven Heavens, from all the rumors and genius cultivators she had encountered, those who could fight her as equals could be counted on one hand—and there was the only one she knew was stronger than her, perhaps on the same level as Lan Xiaorong.
Lan Xiaorong, seeing that Xia Zhenxue was ready, turned to Lan Yueli. She gave a small nod in response.
"Since both of you are ready, let the countdown begin. Begin fighting when the number fades," he announced calmly.
The moment his words fell, a glowing number countdown appeared in midair, illuminating the snowy battlefield and drawing everyone's attention.
Xia Zhenxue was once again quietly surprised by the Simulator Formation—this was her first time using it to battle another person.
The environment felt comfortable, and the biting wind and the scent of frost sharpened her focus. The surroundings empowered her spiritual qi and divine bloodline.
She turned her gaze to her opponent, who still stood with a carefree air, as if the battle meant nothing.
"Lan Yueli, we can change the battlefield if you like," Xia Zhenxue offered coolly.
Lan Yueli smirked. "Don't worry about me. This place is perfect—to humble you."
"Then don’t use it as an excuse after you lose," Xia Zhenxue said coldly. Just like the other side, who had seemed to dislike her from their first encounter, she had no fondness for this rude woman either.
The cold wind screamed like a blade across the snow-covered cliffs, whipping through their robes as the glowing countdown pressed toward its end.
The moment the final digit faded into light and disappeared.
The battle between the two female cultivators began.