Virtual space

The global headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall is situated in Hongning Base City, located in Western Asia, near Europe.

During the Nirvana period, Hong led a group of followers to establish a small human settlement on this land, providing shelter to many fleeing refugees. Over time, this base city grew larger and developed into what it is today.

Wang Yi and Yang Hui sat in an extended Cadillac, admiring the scene outside the car window. The entire city was beautiful, its architecture heavily inspired by ancient Chinese designs, with pavilions scattered throughout.

Wang Yi realized how much he liked the city, likely due to his roots in China.

"As an individual, Hong is truly remarkable," Wang Yi thought to himself.

There are five major countries in the world, plus 23 base cities. Hong controls one of them!

He is the strongest person! The most powerful individual! The wealthiest!

Moreover, his Extreme Martial Arts Hall is the top martial arts school in the world, and his influence is vast.

Countless young people have grown up hearing the legendary stories of Hong.

"But..." Wang Yi mused, "This is just on Earth. It wouldn't matter much in the grander scale of the universe."

Nonetheless, Wang Yi greatly admired Hong for his indelible contribution to humanity.

Soon, they arrived at the elite training camp.

Wang Yi and Yang Hui exited the car and entered the wide gates of the training camp. As soon as they stepped inside, Wang Yi's attention was drawn to a massive black dragon statue, nearly 50 meters tall.

The dragon's enormous eyes faced the entrance, and anyone who entered would immediately notice them. As Wang Yi gazed into the eyes of the black dragon, an overwhelming sense of darkness seemed to press down on him.

Despite being mentally prepared, Wang Yi still felt a momentary shortness of breath.

He knew that this was not just any statue but the remains of a real SS-level (King-level) monster! After Hong killed the black dragon, its eyes were placed in the sculpture, infusing the entire piece with an invisible, oppressive aura.

Ordinary people would feel an unspoken pressure just by looking at it, and even warriors would sense its weight.

On the scales of the 50-meter-long dragon, small screens displayed names and ranks:

"no.1 Renates Bridge (530321)"

"no.2 He Jing (520309)"

"no.3 Eben Pass (520916)"

"no.4 Chu Qiang (540601)"

...

"no.183 Arthur Yates (560502)"

Wang Yi recognized the name "Chu Qiang," someone he had read about before, now ranked fourth. Chu Qiang had entered the camp in June 2054 and, in just two years, had surpassed many of the world's top geniuses to claim his position. Clearly, Chu Qiang was incredibly talented.

The last name on the list was from May of this year. Wang Yi thought to himself that his name would likely be added in June.

Yang Hui began explaining the structure of the camp to Wang Yi.

"...Including you, there are now 184 students in the elite training camp, all of whom are top talents from around the world. Rankings are updated monthly, and if a student ranks in the bottom three three times in a row, they will be eliminated."

Wang Yi noticed how smoothly Yang Hui delivered the explanation, likely having repeated it to many newcomers.

As they walked through the camp, Wang Yi was struck by the beauty of the traditional architecture, resembling something from ancient times. Rock gardens, small bridges, and flowing streams gave the place a paradise-like atmosphere.

Young men and women from various ethnic backgrounds could be seen walking around in workout attire.

"Those are the official trainees," Yang Hui said, pointing to a massive nine-story tower at the center of the camp. "That's the main building where most students live and train. The special training rooms are also located there."

Wang Yi's eyes lit up with excitement. He had finally reached the heart of the elite training camp.