Ch. 4 - Lin Ruhu

Not long after Xu Zimo left, a raspy voice chuckled from the corner of the Scripture Vault. “Huh? Did that little brat notice me just now? No way…” Back on the first floor, Xu Zimo casually picked up a Yellow-grade Meridian technique. On the Primordial Heartlands, all cultivation methods and Meridian techniques were ranked into eight grades: Universe, Galaxy, Star, Planet, Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Universe is the highest; Yellow is the lowest. The technique he grabbed was called “Sword-Drawing Technique.” It had only one move, drawing the sword. Simple and brutal: draw your sword, the opponent’s head drops. As the saying goes: if your horse is fast enough, even a Grand Emperor can’t catch you. Hmmmm... absolutely terrifying! If you draw your sword fast enough, even a Grand Emperor’s head can be chopped off. Leaving the Scripture Vault, Xu Zimo began channeling the energy stored inside the sphere within him, energy from his past life at the God Meridian Realm, to start tempering his body. His internal organs, meridians, and vital pathways began to strengthen at a speed visible to the naked eye. From inside his body came audible cracking and popping sounds. His cultivation level skyrocketed in an instant. Mortal Realm – Stage One Mortal Realm – Stage Two…Mortal Realm – Stage Nine! When he reached the peak of the Mortal Realm, just about to open his first meridian gate, he stopped. He wasn’t in a rush to break into the Spirit Meridian Realm, his rapid rise had left his foundation unstable. A grand tower starts with a strong foundation in the ground. He decided to temper his base further before advancing. Within the True Martial Sacred Ground, there was a special training facility called the Gravity Tower, used to toughen disciples’ bodies. The tower had ten levels, each level increasing gravitational pressure, nearly tenfold with each floor. On his way there, Xu Zimo was suddenly stopped. “Bro Zimo, wait for me!” a voice called out. A chubby boy came puffing over from a distance. He had short hair, a candy stick in his mouth, and a string of snot dangling from his nose. “Bro Zimo, no wonder I couldn’t find you all day, you’ve been hiding here,” the chubby kid said, wiping his nose with practiced ease and licking his candy with satisfaction. “Ruhu, long time no see,” Xu Zimo greeted him warmly, looking at the familiar boy. Lin Ruhu, full name, was the grandson of the Third Grand Elder of the sect, and Xu Zimo’s childhood partner-in-crime. He was Xu Zimo’s loyal sidekick, always following him and doing as he was told. In his past life, Lin Ruhu had always been the background support, never the spotlight. But in truth, his talent was no weaker than Xu Zimo’s, perhaps even stronger. Back then, Xu Zimo thought it was his kingly aura and godlike charm that made Lin Ruhu worship him. Until the war in the latter part of his life, when Lin Ruhu stepped in and took a fatal sword meant for Xu Zimo. It was a killing strike from Chu Yang, the protagonist. Holding the blood-soaked youth in his arms, Lin Ruhu had shouted, “Why? Why would you do this?!” Barely alive, the youth finally revealed the truth behind his loyalty. When they were ten, they had once snuck out of the sect and were ambushed by a White-Eyed Tiger. Xu Zimo had stood in front, shielding Lin Ruhu, and told him to run. Lin Ruhu had asked, “Why protect me?” After all, Xu Zimo could’ve easily left him behind. But Xu Zimo had replied plainly, “Because we’re brothers. I’m the older one, you’re the younger one. That’s what it means, ‘brother’ comes first.” From that moment, even Xu Zimo hadn’t realized: this slightly chubby kid had secretly sworn, “For the rest of my life, I’ll stay by your side. Even if the sun and moon fade and the seas turn to dust, I’ll protect you.” Hearing Xu Zimo’s comment, Lin Ruhu looked confused. “What do you mean, ‘long time no see’? Didn’t we hang out yesterday?” “It’s nothing,” Xu Zimo chuckled and shook his head. “I’m heading to the Gravity Tower to train. You coming?” Lin Ruhu was around the same age as Xu Zimo, it was about time he started cultivating too. “Sure, sure!” Lin Ruhu nodded eagerly. In his eyes, if Xu Zimo said it, it had to be worth doing. … As they walked toward the Gravity Tower, Xu Zimo looked at Lin Ruhu’s appearance again. Snot hanging from his nose, flicking it around without care, always sucking on a candy stick... He looked as sloppy as a kid could look. Xu Zimo couldn’t help but say, “Ruhu, could you eat fewer sweets and wipe your nose once in a while? You should take care of how you look.” “What’s wrong with how I look?” Lin Ruhu asked, puzzled. Xu Zimo figured: they're young men now, at that age where crushes start. Surely Lin Ruhu would start caring about what girls thought of him. So he tried a different approach: “You must have someone you like, right? But who’s going to fall for you when you look like this? Take my advice: clean up a little. Who knows, maybe you’ll win her heart.” “Why would I want to win her heart?” Lin Ruhu asked, even more confused. “Because feelings are mutual. You can’t just fall for someone one-sidedly,” Xu Zimo reasoned. “I don’t need her to agree. I’ll just force it,” Lin Ruhu said matter-of-factly. “You know what they say, a twisted melon doesn’t taste sweet.” “I know,” Lin Ruhu said, “but it still quenches thirst.” “...Damn,” Xu Zimo stopped walking, stunned. “You’re a genius… or something.” “How do you say the dumbest things with such a straight face, and still somehow make it sound reasonable?!” … When they arrived at the Gravity Tower, they saw its oval-shaped structure, it resembled a pagoda in design. Inside, many disciples were already training. Training in the Gravity Tower wasn’t free. Disciples had to complete tasks to earn contribution points, which were then exchanged for training time inside. But for Xu Zimo and Lin Ruhu, who they were, contribution points were never a problem. The first level of the tower doubled gravity. Each level after increased it tenfold.