Steam City, Lower District, Rust Iron Hell
"We're here, everyone out."
Yu Qianxia was the first to push open the car door, looking up at the gray-black building covered in steam pipes. Liu Ma and Chen Kong, who also got out, quickly noticed the sign hanging at the top of the building: "Qianxia Group – Yuqian Construction Co., Ltd."
"Boss, since when did our group expand its business to Steam City?"
Yu Qianxia took a fresh toothpick and put it in her mouth, tilting her head. "What, I didn't tell you?"
"Tell us what?"
"That our Qianxia Group is preparing to expand our construction business, and Steam City is our first stop. After all, this lower district clearly has a lot of development potential."
"Otherwise, did you really think I was just bored and made this trip specifically for you? Do you, Liu Ma, have that much clout?"
"Uh..." Liu Ma scratched his bull horns, an embarrassed expression on his face. He had truly thought Yu Qianxia came all the way from Martial Heaven City just to protect her protégé. Turns out, she was just checking in on him while conducting business.
"Don't just stand there, come in with me."
Chen Kong and Liu Ma nodded, then followed Yu Qianxia into the still-under-construction building of "Yuqian Construction Co., Ltd." Upon entering, they quickly noticed the Qianxia Group employees still renovating the surroundings. Unlike the ordinary citizens of Steam City, who were heavily modified with intelligent prosthetics, these construction workers, specially brought by Yu Qianxia from the Qianxia Group, were all burly men without any intelligent prosthetic modifications.
While they lacked intelligent organs and prosthetics, their strength and vitality far exceeded what an ordinary person could imagine. Amidst the clamor of construction, some workers single-handedly lifted half a ton of rebar, directly carrying it on their shoulders. Other workers easily swung large hammers with arms thicker than a normal person's thigh, continuously compacting the building's foundation.
Even though they were in the cold, damp Rust Iron District, as soon as Chen Kong entered this construction site, he was met with an exaggerated heat, causing his pupils to instinctively contract. Based on his experience, any one of these ordinary Qianxia Group workers possessed strength comparable to a mutated beast. If they encountered a non-combat type, low-talent Rank 1 Star Envoy, these workers might even be able to kill them with a single hammer blow.
Thinking this, Chen Kong developed a strong curiosity about the Qianxia Group and Martial Heaven City, its headquarters. He truly wanted to know what kind of city and city culture could cultivate so many individuals overflowing with masculine vitality.
After a quick glance, Chen Kong immediately caught up with Yu Qianxia and Liu Ma, entering an elevator shaft where gears were exposed. As Yu Qianxia pressed the elevator button, the three began to descend, finally arriving at an underground space located a hundred meters beneath Rust Iron Hell.
"We're here."
The elevator doors opened, revealing a spacious training ground outside. Unlike the bustling crowds above ground, this underground space was empty except for Yu Qianxia, Chen Kong, and Liu Ma.
Under Chen Kong and Liu Ma's questioning gazes, Yu Qianxia led them to a special giant stone and began, "Little Liu, your body wasn't fully developed before, so I didn't make you do much skill-based training."
"But times are different now. Some training can pretty much be put on the agenda."
Yu Qianxia looked at the metallic black-gray boulder before her, pulled an egg from somewhere, and held it in her hand.
Boom!
As Yu Qianxia threw a punch, the moment her fist struck the black-gray boulder, Chen Kong heard a crisp sound. Quickly, the massive obsidian shattered into powder, piling up before her. She then opened her palm. The egg she had held was perfectly intact, without a single crack.
To be able to punch with such force and still keep the egg in her hand unbroken showed the extent of Yu Qianxia's control over her body and Star Energy. Chen Kong speculated that, according to "Ink Wash's" earlier statement, Yu Qianxia's "Strength" and "Finesse" attributes must have reached "A-grade" or higher for her current rank. Chen Kong was certain that Yu Qianxia had not used any Star Source just now. She had achieved all this solely with her physical body and basic Star Energy. Her fundamental skills were incredibly solid, almost unimaginable to ordinary people.
Seeing Chen Kong and Liu Ma deep in thought, Yu Qianxia smiled and tossed the egg to Liu Ma.
"My requirement for you two is simple: for the next half a month, I want you to forget about Star Sources and Star Cores. Treat yourselves as ordinary people with no abilities."
"Then, if you can manage to smash obsidian while keeping the egg in your hand unbroken after half a month, I'll make an exception and teach each of you a suitable martial art of the Feather Clan."
Chen Kong knew there was no such thing as a free lunch and asked, "What if we can't do it?"
To this, Yu Qianxia smiled. "If you can't, Little Liu's entire year's salary will become my training fee."
"As for you..." Yu Qianxia turned to look at Chen Kong, who was relatively thin compared to Liu Ma, and displayed an expression akin to a sly merchant. "...you'll have to work for the Qianxia Group for free for three years. How does that sound?"
Hearing Yu Qianxia's words, Liu Ma and Chen Kong exchanged glances, then both nodded vigorously.
Seeing this, Yu Qianxia's smile became even brighter.
"Straightforward."
Yu Qianxia clapped the dust from her hands, then pointed at a three-meter-tall obsidian behind her. "Little Liu, you're a standard power-type Star Envoy, so this large one is for your training."
"As for you, kid..." Yu Qianxia looked Chen Kong up and down, noting his somewhat scrawny limbs compared to Liu Ma. She pointed to an obsidian behind her that was two or three times smaller than Liu Ma's. "...just hit that one."
With that, Yu Qianxia walked towards the elevator shaft. "For the next half a month, someone will regularly bring you supplies. If you need anything else, you can contact my assistant via your data terminal, and she'll bring whatever you need."
"Alright, I still have some real estate projects to discuss with the people of Steam City. I hope you two boys can give me some surprises after I'm done with those."
With that, Yu Qianxia turned and left.
Watching her back, Liu Ma and Chen Kong exchanged glances, both seeing a rekindled fighting spirit in the other's eyes. They were like children back in the old Ember base, starting a different kind of competition: to see who could complete the task Yu Qianxia had given them first!