24: Child marriage? The conference opens!

Just as the entire world was stirred by the impending Martial Arts event, and countless forces were making their final arrangements and mobilizations for this decade’s Prodigy battle, within Huaxia, another behemoth, on par with the Long Family and even surpassing them in the field of life sciences, finally ended its usual low profile and silence, beginning its own operations.

Shennong Group.

This super conglomerate, named after the ancient Huaxia mythical ancestor who tasted hundreds of herbs and laid the foundation of civilization, is the undisputed absolute overlord in the field of life sciences on this planet. They control nearly 70% of the world’s core patents in biotechnology and genetic medicine, from the most basic gene repair fluid to S-rank gene optimization fluid that even Martial Emperor Rank powerhouses would covet, all originating from their laboratories, which resemble divine creations.

It can be said that the Shennong Group holds the key to the evolution of all Martial Artists worldwide.

At this moment, a flagship-class private aerospace carrier belonging to the Shennong Group, codenamed “Gaia’s Cradle,” was silently traversing above the stratosphere at an altitude of ten thousand meters, at a supersonic speed far beyond the comprehension of conventional aircraft.

The interior of this carrier was not the cold, metallic, and wired technological creation that people imagined. On the contrary, it was more like an independent Small World that had been extracted from ancient times by a deity and sealed in a crystal bottle.

Here, there was a vast indoor ecological garden that completely simulated an ancient ecological environment. Underfoot was soft soil emitting the fragrance of grass and trees, and overhead was warm and gentle “sunlight” simulated by special spectrum lamps. Exotic flowers and plants grew freely at their feet, and many rare Spiritual Plants that had been extinct for thousands of years in the outside world were as common as weeds here. Spiritual Qi was so dense it almost materialized, forming a thin, refreshing white mist in the air. Several colorful immortal cranes, perfectly replicated through genetic technology and long extinct in the river of history, were elegantly preening their magnificent feathers by a winding, clear stream formed by Spiritual Springs.

In the center of the ecological garden, within a pavilion carved from a single piece of ten-thousand-year-old warm jade, a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in a light cyan cloud-patterned cheongsam, with a gentle and mature demeanor like the misty rain of Jiangnan, was smiling. She looked at the lively girl in front of her, who was chattering non-stop, with a doting gaze.

She was one of the current helmsmen of the Shennong Group, the “Azure Emperor Jade Maiden”—The Empress Jade Maiden—renowned in global high society for her decisive business acumen and unfathomable cultivation.

At the same time, she was also Lin Tian’s late mother’s younger sister, Lin Tian’s... maternal aunt.

And in front of her, the girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, excitedly gesticulating and waving her small fists, passionately commenting on the Geniuses of this Martial Arts Tournament, was wearing a fiery red, form-fitting training suit that perfectly outlined her youthful and vibrant curves. She had a high ponytail that playfully bounced with her movements, and on her delicate, porcelain-doll-like face, a pair of bright and cunning large eyes sparkled like stars, exuding an aura of enthusiasm and vitality like a small sun.

She was The Empress Jade Maiden’s only daughter, Lin Tian’s maternal cousin, and a peerless Prodigy who had also awakened an SSS-rank [Elemental Affinity] Talent that could shake the entire world—Jiang Luoling.

“...Mom! You didn’t see those videos on the Federation Martial Arts Forum! That guy named Kyle from North America’s ‘Holy Mountain’ is just too arrogant! He actually publicly said that our Huaxia Martial Arts are all flashy and impractical, good-looking but useless! It infuriates me! I must draw him in this tournament! Then I’ll personally beat his pretty boy face so badly even his mother won’t recognize him!” Jiang Luoling said, puffing out her cheeks and waving her delicate yet terrifyingly powerful fists.

The Empress Jade Maiden looked at her daughter’s vibrant appearance, merely smiling dotingly and elegantly wiping the corner of her mouth with a silk scarf. Then, as if she thought of something more interesting, she changed the subject, asking in a soft, teasing voice, “Luo Ling, you’ve talked so much about others, aren’t you even a little curious about your cousin, who only exists in legend?”

“Cousin? Which cousin?” Jiang Luoling was stunned, then realized, and her excitement instantly deflated.

“Him, huh...” She pouted, picked up a spiritual fruit, took a big bite, and grumbled somewhat unconvinced, “What’s there to be curious about? He’s just a guy protected like a treasure by the Long Family, not even daring to show his face. I heard he has a particularly overbearing personality; a year ago, even Long Ao, who has S-rank Talent, was beaten into seclusion by him. Hmph, a typical Family bully, an arrogant madman who relies on his power to oppress others!”

The Empress Jade Maiden’s smile deepened upon hearing this. She looked at her fearless daughter, who held a “prejudice” against her never-before-met cousin, and slowly dropped a bombshell that could instantly petrify her.

“Is that so? But what if I told you that, according to the agreement your mother and I made privately with your aunt before you were even born, you and this ‘overbearing madman’ cousin of yours already have an ‘arranged childhood marriage’?”

“Wh-What?! Arr-Arranged childhood marriage?!”

Jiang Luoling instantly jumped up from the warm jade stone bench like a cat whose tail had been stepped on! Her bright eyes widened, and her voice rose by a full octave due to shock!

“Mom! You... you’re kidding! This is the interstellar era, and you... you’re still doing arranged marriages?!”

She put her hands on her hips, her pretty face flushed red, whether from anger or embarrassment, and loudly declared her “declaration of independence” with all her might:

“No way! My man, Jiang Luoling’s man, must be a peerless hero who can openly and completely overpower me in strength! I won’t marry a guy I’ve never even met! Especially not an overbearing madman who only bullies others by relying on his power!”

“I’ve decided!” She forcefully swung her small fist in the air, her eyes burning with Battle Intent, “In this Martial Arts Tournament, I will personally! Defeat him in front of the whole world! Let him know that I, Jiang Luoling, am not a doll to be manipulated by these men!”

The girl’s declaration echoed in the vast and quiet ecological garden, filled with the unique rebelliousness and tsundere charm of adolescence.

However, beneath her pouting expression, as if ready to fight the whole world, her uncontrollable big eyes, flickering with curiosity and anticipation, had already betrayed her true inner thoughts.

Regarding that mysterious, powerful, overbearing, and damnably handsome cousin who only existed in legend, she said no a million times, but in her heart, she was already bursting with curiosity...

Time, in the midst of everyone’s anticipation, finally arrived at the official opening day of the tournament.

On this day, the entire Earth seemed to transform into the grandest festival, held to welcome the arrival of deities.

The camera instantly zoomed from microscopic individuals and Families to a magnificent, epic scene belonging to the entire planet.

In the eastern sky, the Long Family’s floating city, a continuous expanse of pavilions and terraces, resembling the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor in legends, supported by tens of thousands of anti-gravity Formations, slowly activated like a awakened Dragon, illuminated by golden rays of light, and cruised towards the center of the Pacific Ocean.

At the summit of North America’s Holy Mountain, a magnificent temple entirely constructed from pure Holy Light energy, surrounded by twelve-winged angels, transformed into a golden streak of light piercing the heavens, soaring skyward and tearing through the clouds.

In the ancient castle clusters of the European Alps, air fortresses, resembling aerial warships, with ancient knight order insignias engraved on their hulls, full of steampunk and magical styles, slowly ascended into the sky amidst a series of resounding horn calls.

Above the vast, frozen Siberian ice plains of North Russia, a mobile base called the “Winter Palace,” resembling a crouching steel giant bear, broke through a thousand-meter-thick layer of ice, emitting an earth-shattering roar... Countless aircraft, representing the planet’s highest power, wealth, and military might, on this day, like ancient feudal lords on a pilgrimage, or like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, surged from all over the world towards a single destination.

—Located thirty thousand meters above the Pacific Ocean, the floating city, “Sky City,” built by the Global Martial Arts Alliance with nearly a century of human resources, full of cyberpunk aesthetics, and the pinnacle of human technology and Martial Dao civilization!

Hundreds of billions of people worldwide, through a holographic live broadcast network covering every corner of the globe, collectively watched this decade’s grandest event for the younger generation!

The atmosphere was heated to an unparalleled climax!

However, beneath this grand, global carnival, new, personal conflicts were also quietly brewing.

Inside a flagship-class interstellar spaceship belonging to the Ye Family of the “Star Group,” which controls nearly half of humanity’s interstellar shipping lifelines, its hull engraved with a brilliant star emblem.

A young man, dressed in silver-white Star Battle Armor, with an extraordinarily handsome face and a noble demeanor like the brightest star in the night sky, was quietly looking at the virtual light screen in front of him.

On the light screen, a looping video played of Jiang Luoling during a public martial arts demonstration, her lively and lovely, heroic and valiant image like a fire sprite.

He was the sole heir of the Star Group, a peerless Prodigy who also possessed S-rank [Star Power] Talent—Ye Star.

He looked at the girl in the video who haunted his dreams, his eyes filled with undisguised infatuation and adoration.

A follower beside him stepped forward at the opportune moment, complimenting him in a tone filled with admiration: “Young Master, with your strength and Family background, this time, both the champion of the Martial Arts Tournament and the little princess of the Shennong Group will surely be yours!”

Ye Star smiled confidently upon hearing this and closed the video.

His goal for this trip was never just the elusive champion title.

More importantly, it was to defeat all opponents on the final arena stage at this globally watched event, in front of hundreds of billions of people, and then make the grandest, most romantic, and most undeniable confession to his beloved goddess—Jiang Luoling!

He wanted the whole world to know that only he, Ye Star, the brightest star in the sky, was worthy of that most beautiful moon on Earth!

As for that legendary Long Family “Number Zero” who didn’t even dare to show his face?

He was merely an insignificant... backdrop to highlight his majestic figure in this perfect performance.

A “super love triangle” combining Family marriage, childhood sweethearts, love at first sight, and countless coincidences, had already been set up.

It only awaited the true protagonist to make his appearance.

As the ten-thousand-meter-high countdown light pillar, formed by countless energy beams, in the center of “Sky City” finally reached zero.

A loud, majestic voice, transmitted through the quantum communication network to every corner of the globe, resounded through the sky.

“The 77th Global Youth Martial Arts Tournament...”

“—Officially opens!”