Level Up in Martial World

"What mages?" Lu Zhen asked, a clueless expression on his face.

"Mages are those who came before us. Those people were the true powerhouses and could scour the realms with their own strength. For them, demons and beasts were nothing but slaves," Jui Luli stated while looking at Lu Zhen. "Are you some country bumpkin? You don't even know this?"

"Well," Lu Zhen paused with a casual shrug, "I guess I am a country bumpkin. What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Good, because you can do nothing," he casually nodded his head in agreement.

Jui Luli's brows twitched. "Even if you are a first-stage Martial Artist, you know there are many people stronger than you, right?"

"Of course, I'm aware there are many people stronger than me, but does that really matter?" Lu Zhen said, his gaze fixed on her. "All I know is that I'm stronger than you."

"Oh, how impressive—you can overpower a poor, helpless woman. Is that what you're trying to tell me?" she retorted, a mocking smile curving her lips.

Ray pointed at her with a confused expression and asked, "So, are you saying that you're a poor and helpless woman?"

"Yes, exactly. So, can you help this pitiful, weak woman and give me a discount?" Jui Luli replied, her face adopting an exaggeratedly pitiful look.

"Damn, she bested me in shamelessness," Lu Zhen cursed inwardly.

He was certain that Jui Luli had taken countless lives to ascend to the First-stage Martial Realm, no matter how "weak" she appeared. In fact, she could hold her own against a mid-First-stage Martial Realm killer which showed her abilities.

If someone like her could be labeled a weak and helpless woman, then who on earth qualified as the epitome of a strong woman?

"Ahem," Lu Zhen cleared his throat awkwardly, noticing Jui Luli's amused smile widening ever so slightly.

"So... shall we get back to the story?"

"What story?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"The one about the mages," Lu Zhen replied, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Ah, right, right," Jui Luli said with a casual wave of her hand. "The Mages vanished because of the mana hole. It drained them dry, leading to their demise, and with no one to keep them in check, the beasts and demons ran rampant."

"So, you're telling me all the mages died because of this mana hole you're talking about?" Lu Zhen asked, his tone now genuinely laced with surprise.

"That's just a theory," Jui Luli said, shaking her head to dismiss it. "No one truly knows what happened to them. However, this theory is the most widely accepted. Countless Martial Artists, even those in the First-stage, agree with it because it was proposed by the only Union and Separation Martial Artist remaining in our entire human race."

"Just because he said it doesn't necessarily make it true, does it?" Lu Zhen countered.

"What do you know?" Jui Luli shot him a sharp glance. "You may be relatively young for a First-stage Martial Artist, but do you seriously dare to underestimate him? Do you wish to incur his wrath?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll deal with him after I solve my own problems," Lu Zhen said, shaking his head. He wasn't lying—just a single attack, likely stored for millions of years, had nearly killed him, rendering all his Qi and Intent completely useless. How could he even consider provoking a Union and Separation Martial Artist when his own issues were still unresolved?

The answer was simple: he wouldn't.

Even if he avoided conflict and sought a solution instead, negotiations always required equal footing. Without that, you were bound to lose.

And what if that Martial Artist could somehow detect his system? Although Lu Zhen highly doubted it, there was always a sliver of probability. Testing his luck in such a high-stakes gamble wasn't something he was eager to try.

You can be lucky sometimes, but being lucky every time? That was practically impossible. Life wasn't a game of chance.

"So, what exactly is this Mana Hole you keep talking about?" Lu Zhen asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"The Mana Hole was a strange phenomenon that appeared out of nowhere, catching everyone completely by surprise," Jui Luli explained, her pupils flickering as she spoke. "All the surrounding mana was drawn into the hole, leaving every corner of the realms deprived of their mana and, consequently, their power."

"So, that's it?" Lu Zhen asked.

"Yeah, without mana, we believed that Mages were nothing more than mortals with technology," Jui Luli continued. "However, the real issue might lie in the fact that the strongest mages all perished when their mana was drained, causing devastating destruction with their deaths. This ultimately led to the downfall of the entire Mage community. As for the Mana Hole, it gradually mutated, and it's now believed to be the source of our ever-present Qi, which is converted from the Mutated Mana."

"I see." Lu Zhen absorbed the information, comparing it with his own knowledge. It made some sense, but doubts began to creep into his mind.

"So, when am I getting my full-body massage?" he asked, shifting the conversation. "My body has been aching for a while now, and I'd really appreciate a bit of relief."

He stretched, his bones cracking loudly as if in unison with the tension he felt.

"I said anything but that," Jui Luli retorted with a huff.

Though she appeared slightly annoyed, Lu Zhen couldn't help but find her reaction rather cute. But...

"Then I won't represent your force," he said, shaking his head stubbornly, like a child throwing a tantrum. He paused, then added, "Also, you made me angry, so I need to get my body massage before the competition."

Without waiting for a response, he stormed off, leaving the area entirely.

Jui Luli watched his retreating figure, her emotions swirling in a storm of confusion.

"Where is that brat, Yin Li?" she muttered to herself as she walked out, looking for her.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhen strolled casually into a random empty room, acting as if he owned the place, and began to meditate.

"I feel like I've found a way to destroy that damn energy that's been disturbing me," Lu Zhen muttered to himself, his focus sharpening as he concentrated on the mana inside his Mana Heart. This could be the key, but he wasn't entirely sure.

As time passed slowly, like a gentle stream, a knock suddenly echoed from the other side of the door. A faint silhouette of a mature woman appeared, framed by the light seeping through the crack in the door.