Chapter 1 Quiet Valley

Surrounded by jagged peaks, forming a tranquil valley like a paradise, Xu Jingming held a long spear. Familiar with the routine, he picked up a fist-sized stone from the grass and hurled it towards a distant mountain peak.

Swish!

The stone flew like a cannonball for seven or eight hundred meters in an instant, striking a mountain peak in the distance. It slammed into the mountainside with a deafening boom, creating a crater about five feet in diameter, sending rubble flying.

Originally, there were sounds of apes howling from the surrounding peaks, but after the loud explosion, all the howls quieted down.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures leaped from various peaks, arcing through the air, landing on trees or on the grass. More than a dozen apes appeared, all staring at Xu Jingming with hostility.

"We're old friends now, I'll make this quick," Xu Jingming said. His body moved, becoming a blur as he dashed out, accelerating to full speed.

Each of the dozen or so apes wielded a dark staff. Seeing Xu Jingming's speed, their fur bristled, instinctively surrounding him, trying to overwhelm him with numbers.

"Pfft."

A dark red figure flashed, and an ape's chest was pierced. Xu Jingming had already passed by, stabbing the next ape in the neck!

In the initial exchange, he killed two apes.

Xu Jingming fully demonstrated the speed of the Huahong (Rainbow Transformation) spear technique. His speed far surpassed these ordinary apes, and his spear technique was terrifyingly sharp. The apes' basic staff techniques were useless against him, and one by one they fell.

"Awoo..." The remaining apes let out mournful cries, filled with grief and fear.

"These virtual opponents are even set up with such high intelligence," Xu Jingming muttered to himself. No matter how many times he attempted to pass the fourth level of the Starry Sky Tower, the opponents were always these apes and their king. At first, he felt pity when he heard their cries.

But after a while, he got used to it!

After being killed, they turned into illusions, only to reappear the next time he tried to pass the level!

"Pfft, pfft, pfft..." Wherever Xu Jingming's figure passed, apes fell, turning into illusions.

When the ape king, with fur that was slightly reddish, appeared, even it was filled with rage at the sight. It roared, and the remaining apes immediately retreated, keeping their distance.

"Couldn't you have come out sooner?" Xu Jingming said, looking at the ape king, now much more serious.

"Boom."

The ape king moved, transforming into a reddish blur as it pounced on Xu Jingming. Xu Jingming became a dark red, indistinct figure, instantly meeting the ape king head-on, his speed seemingly having a slight advantage.

The two collided!

The ape king's staff technique was powerful, heavy, and versatile.

Xu Jingming's spear, however, was fast!

Fast… which naturally meant terrifying kinetic energy! The kinetic energy of Xu Jingming himself and his spear were perfectly combined, each strike making the ape king feel the pressure. It was forced to use footwork, rapidly changing direction to dodge again and again before counterattacking!

Xu Jingming, on the other hand, was all about offense, offense, and more offense! He didn't give the ape king the slightest chance to breathe!

"Heh heh heh..." The ape king couldn't help but let out angry growls, its eyes filled with shock and rage.

Xu Jingming's attacks became even more frantic. The Huahong spear technique was like that! It abandoned many aspects of defense, purely using offense to overwhelm the enemy. If the enemy could defend and counterattack… then he would likely be defeated!

Prolonged defense is sure to fail!

Xu Jingming's thirty-first spear attack on the ape king grazed its left arm, leaving a wound. Xu Jingming's eyes lit up, and he immediately took another step forward, his attack becoming even fiercer.

One spear after another, without stopping.

The ape king, injured in its left arm, panicked slightly. Its staff technique was noticeably weaker, and the power behind its strikes was diminished. It barely managed to block two spears, but the thirty-fourth spear cut a large gash in its abdomen. With the abdominal wound, the strength of its entire body immediately leaked away!

With the thirty-fifth spear, the ape king tried its best to hold the staff in front of its chest, but it was still knocked aside by Xu Jingming's spear, which was like a dragon emerging from the water. The spear pierced the ape king's chest.

The ape king was tenacious, still not dead! Even as its chest was pierced, it swung its staff, trying to strike Xu Jingming's head.

"Shred!"

The spear that had pierced the ape king's chest suddenly slashed sideways, cutting open most of the ape king's chest, severing its heart and lungs. The staff that the ape king swung became powerless, its eyes dimmed, and its body turned illusory.

Xu Jingming withdrew his spear, watching the ape king disappear.

Thirty-six consecutive attacks! Killing the ape king!

"Done." Xu Jingming breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fourth level cleared, preparing to enter the fifth level of the Starry Sky Tower." A voice sounded in his ear. Xu Jingming's armor and weapons became spotless, and his stamina was restored to its peak.

"Let's see what the opponent on the fifth level is like," Xu Jingming thought.

The scene before his eyes changed, and he arrived at the fifth level.

This was a beach. On the beach, a figure was leisurely lying on a chair, basking in the sun, with a juice drink beside him. This figure was a very handsome young man.

"A human?" Xu Jingming was surprised.

A very handsome human. Even from the side, it was clear that his face was very handsome. When he turned to look at Xu Jingming, his eyes made Xu Jingming involuntarily feel a flutter in his heart.

A human male youth, with a sense of charm?

"That is?" Xu Jingming saw it. The youth lying there had a furry tail. His ears and face also had very light fur, and his eyebrows were silver.

The silver-browed youth glanced at Xu Jingming and casually threw a few pebbles he was playing with in his left hand.

咻咻咻咻咻!!!!!!

A total of five pebbles, each faster than Xu Jingming could imagine. Xu Jingming had just reacted when all five pebbles had pierced through his body, and his body turned illusory…

He was eliminated from the fifth level of the Starry Sky Tower!

"Pebbles, so fast that I couldn't even block them?" Xu Jingming clicked his tongue in amazement.

Xu Jingming exited the Starry Sky Tower and saw the names on the second volume of the Starry Sky Rankings.

Starry Sky Rankings (Fourth Level) –

Global First: Liu Hai (Xia Country)

Global Second: Tiano * Xilai (Bovana)

Global Third: Xu Jingming (Xia Country)

"Hoo." Xu Jingming returned to his personal training space. Li Miaomiao was still waiting there.

"Jingming, I've already seen it." Li Miaomiao was even more excited than Xu Jingming. "The three of you cleared the Starry Sky Tower one after another in less than three hours. By the way, what's on the fifth level of the Starry Sky Tower? I've always been curious."

"The fifth level?" Xu Jingming's expression was complicated. "It's a person, but not a normal human."

"A person?" Li Miaomiao was puzzled.

The first level was a pack of wolves, the second level was a group of bears, the third level was a group of tigers, the fourth level was a group of intelligent apes, and the fifth level was a person?

"And the fifth level might just be one person," Xu Jingming speculated. "He also has a furry tail, and his face has very light fur. Never mind, you can just watch the video!"

Saying that, Xu Jingming pulled up the video of his attempt on the fifth level of the Starry Sky Tower. Of course, he didn't play the fighting scenes, he was too badly abused.

"Wow!" Li Miaomiao's eyes lit up as she watched. "So handsome!"

"I don't know why the virtual world designs opponents so handsomely," Xu Jingming said helplessly. Even he, a man, felt a flutter in his heart at that moment. He was simply the most handsome person he had ever seen, including online! What was so shocking was mainly his eyes, a charm from the depths of the mind and will!

Li Miaomiao immediately said coaxingly, "Of course, in my heart, Jingming, you're more handsome than him."

"Don't try to coax me, I know my limits," Xu Jingming said, shaking his head.

……

The global media had already gone crazy. What day was it today?

In just over two hours, Liu Hai, Tiano * Xilai, and Xu Jingming had all cleared the fourth level of the Starry Sky Tower one after another! Each was separated by just over an hour, making the world feel… did they arrange it?

"Three people cleared it in a row, is the fourth level that easy?"

"Wait and see, maybe a fourth person will clear it."

"I think I understand the strength of Liu Hai and Tiano * Xilai. Just compare them to Xu Jingming. The three of them are on the same level."

"Maybe a peerless expert will emerge globally and clear the fourth level!"

The whole world was watching.

In the past, they always felt that the fourth level of the Starry Sky Tower was out of reach, because there weren't even a hundred people globally who had cleared the third level. But what about today? Three people cleared it in a row, would there be a fourth? A fifth? Or even more?

There were crouching tigers and hidden dragons all over the world, you never knew.

People from various countries were filled with anticipation. Even small countries had ambitions.

"Bovana is such a small country, but it can produce a Tiano! Our Silla country is much bigger, with tens of millions of people. Maybe there will be a peerless genius!"

"Warriors, charge! Clear the fourth level of the Starry Sky Tower, ura!"

The entire internet felt like it was celebrating a grand festival, everywhere discussing Liu Hai, Tiano, and Xu Jingming, while also looking forward to the appearance of a fourth and fifth person.