Golden Core.
The words hit Zhao Tianxing like a physical blow. "A Golden Core True Person's daughter? In Songyang?"
Zhang Yu nodded quietly. He knew the hierarchy. Qi Refining. Foundation Building. Golden Core. Each realm was a wall — climbed only by the elite. A Golden Core cultivator had graduated from a key high school, entered a top-ten university, joined a major sect, and ascended Kunxu's layers to heights Zhang Yu couldn't even imagine.
Someone at that level returning to Songyang — Layer 1 — was like an emperor retiring to a peasant village. It made no sense.
The driver smiled, eager to show off his insider knowledge. "Not just Ms. Li. Her father — Starfire True Person — is originally from Songyang. He's retiring. Coming home."
*Retiring to the starter zone,* Zhang Yu thought. *Bizarre.*
"There's more," the driver continued. "The exhibition includes a painting by Starfire True Person himself — the Celestial Combat Painting. Said to contain a hidden supreme martial art."
"Many attendees aren't just networking with Ms. Li. They're trying to comprehend the painting and extract the technique from it."
---
Songyang Central Tower. Floor 999.
Zhang Yu stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the sea of clouds below the city. He'd never been this high. The world below looked like a model — streets the size of veins, buildings like toys, people invisible.
He straightened his new security uniform. The fabric was better than his school clothes.
Since entering the Central Tower, he'd felt like he'd crossed into a dream. His suburban neighborhood vaguely resembled his past life. Songyang High's infrastructure already surpassed anything from that world. But the Central Tower — 999 floors of it, saturated with mana-driven technology, array-powered elevators that yanked you up hundreds of floors in seconds without a scratch — was something else entirely.
*Same city. Three different worlds. The suburbs for mortals. The city center for cultivators. And this tower for the truly rich.*
*One city. Three layers. Three stratospheres of existence.*
"Zhang Yu." Zhao Tianxing's voice came from behind. "The captain told us to patrol. We should go."
Zhang Yu turned. Zhao Tianxing wore the same uniform. But where Zhang Yu wore it like he belonged, Zhao Tianxing looked like he was trying to crawl out of his own skin. Hunched. Fidgeting. A man who'd soiled himself and was pretending nothing happened.
*He thinks everyone's judging him. The uniform, the job, the poverty of it all.*
In truth, nobody was looking at him at all. The moment he put on that uniform, he'd become scenery — a background element, like a potted plant. Slightly more noticeable than the greenery. Less interesting than the artwork.
Zhang Yu clapped his shoulder. "Chest out. Head up. We're Central Tower security, not delivery boys. What are you afraid of?"
Zhao Tianxing flinched at the volume. "Keep your voice down. You'll bother people."
---
The exhibition occupied a vast floor — over a thousand square meters. Buffet tables. Beverage stations. It looked less like a gallery and more like a party. The centerpiece — the Celestial Combat Painting — hung under a cloth drape, waiting for Li Xuelian's personal unveiling.
Zhang Yu and Zhao Tianxing were assigned to patrol the perimeter. Easy work. Nothing happening. No crowds yet.
And here was the strange thing — the Ritual Contract didn't bother him. Not even a little. The Ritual targeted his efforts toward fulfilling the Evil God's wish: study, cultivate, work, earn money, graduate, get a job. Temp work counted. Patrolling an empty exhibition floor was work. The Ritual was satisfied.
For the first time in days, Zhang Yu felt relaxed.
They walked past the buffet setup. Servants arranged plates on long tables. Zhang Yu squinted.
"Is that... seafood?"
Zhao Tianxing looked. Lobsters. Abalone. Shellfish glistening on ice.
"Marine life," Zhao Tianxing said. "That shelled one — I saw it when I went out with my mom. About forty thousand yuan a pound."
"But this is the Central Tower. Normal here."
In Kunxu's first layer — 20 million square kilometers — there was no ocean. Seafood was astronomically rare, imported from higher layers or cultivated in artificial environments. The original Zhang Yu had only seen it online. Never in person. Never on a plate.
"Forty thousand a pound?" Zhang Yu's mind raced. "What does it do? Boost mana?"
In this world, everything — food, clothing, shelter, transportation — connected to cultivation. Every product promised some enhancement. Every meal was a pill in disguise.
Zhao Tianxing thought about it. Shook his head. "Never heard of any benefit. It's just... good to eat."
"Just... good to eat?"
Zhang Yu stared at the platters. Food that existed purely for pleasure. Not cultivation. Not enhancement. Just taste.
The concept seemed alien.
---
"You two security guards." A cold voice from behind. "Not patrolling. Loitering by the food. What are you doing?"
Zhao Tianxing nearly jumped out of his uniform. "We weren't—"
He turned and froze.
Bai Zhenzhen stood there. Server's uniform. Tray under one arm. Expression like a winter morning.
But Zhang Yu just turned around, casual. "Zhenzhen. Fancy seeing you here."
Zhao Tianxing felt the blood leave his face. A classmate. Seeing him in a security uniform. Working a temp job. The labels would cascade — poor, part-time worker, broke. His social standing would crater. He twisted like he was trying to dance and die at the same time.
"Didn't expect you to skip decades of career building and go straight to security," Bai Zhenzhen said flatly.
Zhao Tianxing waved his hands. "It's not— I'm just here with Zhang Yu—"
Zhang Yu slapped his shoulder. "What are you nervous about? You earn eight hundred an hour. One hour of your labor feeds a mortal for ten days. People should be envious."
"Eight hundred?" Zhao Tianxing blinked. He'd never thought of it as impressive.
But Bai Zhenzhen had gone very still. Something cold radiated from her.
Zhao Tianxing knew Bai Zhenzhen by reputation. Year-one top scorer. Ice queen. Untouchable. Only socialized with Zhang Yu and Zhou Tianyi. He'd heard she was brilliant and proud and completely inaccessible.
Now she stood silent, staring. Zhao Tianxing concluded that Zhang Yu had said something wrong and upset her.
"You earn eight hundred an hour?" she asked. Her voice was Arctic.
"Yeah." Zhao Tianxing nodded, not understanding the question.
A voice called from across the table. A senior server. "New girl! Come plate the dishes! Stop standing around!"
Bai Zhenzhen turned. "I need to get back to work. See you later."
She walked away. Inside, her thoughts burned.
*Security makes eight hundred an hour? I make five hundred. I should've applied for security.*
Zhao Tianxing stared after her. "Bai Zhenzhen works here too?"
"What's so strange? Who in this world isn't working?" Zhang Yu had recognized her uniform the moment he saw her. Given her financial situation, part-time work was expected.
What impressed him was that she worked, studied, and still held the number-one rank.
*Zhenzhen's talent is monstrous. Among all the beginner disciples of Songyang, she's probably only slightly weaker than me.*
---
*New terms: Starfire True Person (星火真人) — Golden Core cultivator, Li Xuelian's father. Celestial Combat Painting (天人演武图) — painting said to contain hidden martial art. Foundation Building (筑基) — cultivation realm above Qi Refining. Golden Core (金丹) — cultivation realm above Foundation Building.*