Chapter 21: I Shall Await You in the Transcendental Realm

"Yes, your second uncle was here earlier, right in Principal Song's office."

"He invited me to join the Tianheng special training camp."

Shi Yu spoke while observing the petite Xia Yu. A mental image of Xia Yuan, whose physique was as massive as a mountain, flashed through his mind. It was truly fascinating that two such vastly different people belonged to the same family.

Xia Yu brushed back a strand of hair disheveled by the wind and said softly, "My second uncle messaged me earlier, saying he thinks very highly of you."

"He said... your future achievements will undoubtedly surpass his own."

Shi Yu couldn't help but laugh aloud, waving his hand dismissively. "Senior Xia is too kind. I am still a long way from reaching his level."

He was speaking the truth; putting aside the Transcendence Realm, he was still worrying about his Foundation Establishment a year from now.

One must eat one bite at a time, and martial arts cultivation must be approached one step at a time, with steady and solid progress.

Xia Yu shook her head. "Don't be so modest. I heard from my second uncle that Principal Song also speaks of you with great admiration."

"You must understand, her standards are incredibly high. Ordinary people rarely catch the eye of the 'Little Princess' of the Song family."

"The Song family? 'Little Princess'?"

Shi Yu felt somewhat bewildered; such matters felt quite distant to a commoner like him. He also vaguely sensed that Xia Yu's family background seemed even more profound than he had imagined, as her tone when mentioning Song Yunwei was entirely casual, lacking the typical deference people usually showed towards Transcendents.

Seeing that Shi Yu was unfamiliar with the Song family's background, Xia Yu took the initiative to explain. As he listened, Shi Yu finally understood why Song Yunwei had reacted the way she did regarding his one-million-credit cultivation fund. To the Song conglomerate, which possessed assets in the trillions, it was truly a negligible amount.

The title "Little Princess" for Song Yunwei stemmed from the fact that she had two older brothers. Her eldest brother had already stepped into the Transcendence Realm, while her second brother primarily managed the family's worldly affairs, with a cultivation level in the late stage of the Qi-Opening Realm. Because Song Yunwei was the youngest, she became known as the little princess. However, after she became a Transcendent herself, the title was used less and less.

"Xia Yu, you know so much about the Song family; it seems your own family is quite extraordinary as well!"

Shi Yu's gaze swept toward the cool sports car parked outside the playground fence—the vehicle that exclusively ferried Xia Yu to and from school. Curious students had once looked up its price: twelve million, a limited edition not easily purchased by money alone.

"Our Xia family..." Xia Yu pondered for a moment, as if considering how to give Shi Yu a clear concept. "Simply put, we are roughly two or three times the scale of the Song family."

Even with Shi Yu’s calm temperament, his eyebrows twitched at this. He looked at Xia Yu and saw no trace of vanity in her expression. She was merely stating a fact.

"Then... your family must have more than just Second Uncle Xia as a Transcendent martial artist, right?" Shi Yu asked.

"Yes. Over the last three generations—from my grandfather's generation down to mine—besides Uncle Xia Yuan, there are three other Transcendent martial artists."

"One of them is even beyond the Outer-Gang Realm, having reached the Meta-Domain Realm!"

"His name is Xia Wuyou, the strongest in the Xia family," Xia Yu said, looking at Shi Yu earnestly. "I believe you will certainly meet him in the future."

Shi Yu felt a slight tremor in his heart. This was what a true elite family looked like. From Xia Yu's brief narrative, he could see the developmental trajectory of these clans: protecting wealth with martial arts, and supporting martial arts with wealth. The two complemented each other, spiraling upward like a snowball growing ever larger. In all of this, martial arts was the foundation, the root! In a world that frequently faced extraterrestrial invasions, martial arts were the prerequisite for survival, development, and growth.

This was also the reason why, lately, people and events from all sides were gradually converging around him. It was all because he had demonstrated sufficient value and deep potential for martial arts cultivation.

"Actually, I envy you," Xia Yu said suddenly while Shi Yu was lost in thought.

He found it amusing; was this young lady of the Xia family being overly dramatic? What could someone born into such a prominent family possibly have to be dissatisfied about?

Xia Yu gazed at the drifting clouds on the horizon, her voice tinged with loneliness. "I don't just envy you; I also envy Principal Song, Song Yunwei."

"Both of you possess outstanding martial arts talent that far surpasses that of ordinary people."

"In this world where martial arts reign supreme, you have enough of a voice to dictate your own path and your own destiny."

"And me..." Xia Yu sighed deeply. "My aptitude for martial arts might be better than the average person's, but it is extremely limited."

"The hope of stepping into the Transcendence Realm is slim."

"In the future, I can only accept the arrangements made by my family, unable to do what I truly want."

As Shi Yu listened to Xia Yu, he couldn't help but mutter to himself: *Can't you just lie back and enjoy being a wealthy second-generation heir? I wish I could lie back, but I can't.*

"I know you might be mocking me in your heart, calling me dramatic," Xia Yu said faintly.

Shi Yu shook his head, *No, not at all.*

Xia Yu pointed at the sports car outside the wall. "Do you know why there is a car to pick me up and drop me off every day?"

Shi Yu looked at the car, then at the melancholic Xia Yu, not understanding what this wealthy young lady was trying to say.

"Actually, I don't want to sit in that car at all," Xia Yu said with a hint of helplessness. "I want to be like everyone else, chatting with good friends after school, going to a street-side stall for skewers."

"If I find something fun, I want to be able to toss my bag aside and relax happily."

"When I see a kitten on the side of the road, I want to be able to pet it and play with it."

"Yet, from childhood until now, I never have." Xia Yu sighed softly. "That car takes me to school and picks me up; I can't go anywhere else."

"The driver only follows my father's orders."

"That way, my family can control my entire schedule for the day."

"My time allocation every day is decided by the family."

"At home, there are all kinds of training instructors specifically there to teach me."

"They say that a young lady of the Xia family must have the bearing of the Xia family."

Xia Yu kicked a small stone at her feet; it rolled a few times and came to a stop, as if it, too, were listening to her heart's cry.

"In the future, when I graduate from high school, which university I attend, what major I study, and even where I go and what I do after graduation—it has all been clearly arranged by my family."

"They say it's for my own good."

"But no one knows what I want."

As she spoke, she squatted down, looking like a small flower growing on the playground, swaying in the wind.

Shi Yu remained silent for a moment. Though he didn't know why this wealthy heiress was revealing her troubles to him, a fellow student, he could feel her helplessness and struggle. Every family had its own troubles.

He squatted down beside her and said, "If you feel stifled, then you must break this situation yourself!"

"You were born into the Xia family; your starting line is already ahead of 99% of ordinary people."

"Your martial arts aptitude, even if it hasn't reached an extraordinary level, is still at the elite class standard."

"I believe the Xia family is definitely not lacking in various martial arts resources!"

"So, regarding your claim that your chance of entering the Transcendence Realm is slim—I don't agree!" Shi Yu said firmly.

"I think the key to the problem lies in yourself!"

"It depends on how much of a price and effort you are willing to pay to follow your own path!"

"A martial artist must cut through thorns and brambles, and forge ahead with courage!"

Hearing this, Xia Yu went stiff. She slowly looked up at the handsome young man beside her in the sunset.

"If you want to have freedom, then stand up bravely and put in double the effort yourself!"

"Go chase your dreams and grab the opportunities that belong to you with your own hands!"

Shi Yu reached out his hand to her.

The young man wore a brilliant smile. "I will be waiting for you in the Transcendence Realm!"