71: Chapter 71 Challenging the City's Tallest Building: Climbing the Tower with Weight

Sweat stains from extreme training still remained on the bluestone slabs of the training hall when Lin Mo's tactical tablet suddenly popped up a notification from the Global Martial Arts System: "Top of the City Challenge begins. First event — Weight-Bearing Tower Climb. The finish line is the 118th floor of the Global Financial Center." The boy's finger slid across the prize pool numbers, and his eyes suddenly widened: "Champion reward: 5 million points! Just enough to unlock the expansion permissions for 'Group Deduction'!"

Chen Wu's gaze fell on the event description attached to the tablet. The organizers were listed as the Council of Tomb Guardians and the Special Incident Response Department. The clause in the entry requirements stating "must carry a 50kg Qi Energy Conduction Device" made him frown — this device could transmit Qi Energy fluctuations during the climb to global Mutants in real-time, effectively providing a "Qi Energy Massage" for fellow patients using his own training.

Grandpa Wang's tobacco pipe knocked out Mars on the event poster. The old man fished out a rusty Iron Sand Bag from under the altar table: "In 1951, I accompanied your grandfather up Zijin Mountain in Nanjing with a load of 80 jin, using this very method." The pipe bowl tapped a hidden compartment in the Iron Sand Bag, "It's mixed with Magnetite Powder inside, which can guide Qi along the Meridians. Your grandfather called this 'Using Weight to Train Energy'."

An urgent signal came through the Special Incident Response Department's encrypted channel. In the holographic image of the Chief of the Enforcement Division, a 3D model of the Global Financial Center was rotating, with each floor marked with different Qi Energy interference sources: "Grey Shadow's remnant forces have installed 'Qi Energy Disrupters' in the building, which will cause the energy flow of those carrying weights to fluctuate." She suddenly pulled up a list, "Three of the contestants are Mutants with suspicious identities."

Chen Wu's fingertips brushed over the peace lock, and blue-gold Qi Energy condensed into a small ball in his palm. The System notification suddenly sounded: "Detected fluctuations in A-Ming's younger sister's vital signs; stable Qi Energy transmission is urgently needed." On the tablet's hospital monitor screen, the little girl's fingers were trembling as she gripped the lock piece, the curve on the monitor looking like a struggling fish.

"This isn't a race; it's a rescue." Chen Wu suddenly swung the Iron Sand Bag onto his shoulder, the 50kg weight causing the bluestone slab to let out a faint groan. On Lin Mo's virtual map, a small red dot flashed next to the 118th-floor finish line, exactly where A-Ming's younger sister's ward was located — the Qi Energy resonance frequency between the two buildings would reach its peak on a full moon night.

The Flower Girl walked in carrying a bunch of budding white magnolias, their petals still damp with morning dew. She stuffed the bouquet into Chen Wu's weight bag: "These are improved 'Qi Energy Orchids' that can absorb disrupted energy." The tablet in her basket showed the message wall of global Mutants, "They say they're going to count the steps for you on the livestream; 30 million people have already signed up to be 'cloud cheerleaders'."

Officer Zhang's body camera lit up at the courtyard entrance. The old policeman wore a specially made tactical vest over his uniform, which was covered in micro-sensors: "The bureau has stationed bomb disposal elevators on every floor to provide immediate backup in case of trouble." He suddenly lowered his voice, "The Technical Department cracked Grey Shadow's communications; they said they want to make the 'first traditional martial arts Great Master to reach the top' be publicly humiliated."

When Chen Wu stood in the lobby of the Global Financial Center, the iron sand and orchids in his weight bag were creating a marvelous resonance. The blue-gold Qi Energy traveled along the Magnetite Powder, becoming even more refined under the 50kg pressure. In the Global Martial Arts System's livestream, the number of people online instantly surpassed 1.5 billion, and a golden river of bullet comments surged across the screen.

"On your marks!" The referee's starting pistol fired with a Qi Energy fluctuation. The three suspicious Mutants shot out like arrows from a bow, their weight bags noticeably lighter than the standard, and their joints glinted with the cold light characteristic of mechanical prosthetic limbs. Chen Wu's Listening Energy captured the energy flow within them — it was like wires twisted into a braid, clearly explosive power forcibly triggered by drugs.

The marble steps of the first stage stretched beneath his feet as Chen Wu's Nine Palace Steps beat out a peculiar rhythm. Every three steps he climbed, a petal of the orchids in his weight bag would bloom, and blue-gold Qi Energy would spread along the metal inlays of the stairs. The vital signs curve in the bottom right of the livestream immediately became stable. "A-Ming's younger sister's heart rate has dropped!" Lin Mo cheered with a sob in his voice.

By the 20th floor, the Qi Energy Disrupters began to cause trouble. Chen Wu's knees suddenly buckled, and the weight of the Iron Sand Bag seemed to double instantly, his footprints on the stone deepening by half an inch. Medical experts in the comments gasped collectively: "It's a 'Gravity Illusion'! Grey Shadow's device can interfere with the vestibular System!" On the hospital monitor, the little girl's finger suddenly twitched, and the golden light on her lock piece dimmed.

"Sink your shoulders and drop your elbows; sink your Qi to your Dantian." Grandpa Wang's voice suddenly came from the livestream channel, the rhythm of his tobacco pipe tapping against an Iron Sand Bag echoing through the screen like an invisible drum. Chen Wu's Tomb-Guarding Beast Breathing Technique suddenly changed its tone; inhaling as if smelling flowers, exhaling as if hearing the wind in the pines, the disrupted Qi Energy gradually calmed within the orchid fragrance, and his footprints became even once more.

At the corner of the 50th floor, a Mutant suddenly "slipped" and fell. His weight bag split open during the fall, revealing lead weights inside — 20kg lighter than the standard. When Chen Wu reached out to help him, a poison needle suddenly popped from the man's fingertip, the black Qi on the needle tip at the same frequency as Shadow Beast toxins. "Watch out!" Officer Zhang's body camera suddenly erupted with intense light, illuminating the needle's trajectory clearly.

Chen Wu's wrist flipped at an incredible angle, catching the opponent's elbow joint perfectly. Blue-gold Qi Energy surged in through the point of contact, and the chaotic energy flow inside the Mutant was suddenly smoothed out like tangled hair. "Your younger brother is receiving treatment at the Third Hospital," Chen Wu's voice vibrated with Qi Energy, "He said he wants to practice the Horse Stance for you himself." The opponent's poison needle hit the floor with a clang, the malicious glint in his eyes turning into stunned disbelief.

The livestream suddenly cut to a collective ward in a hospital. Thirty-seven Mutants were practicing "Weight-Bearing Steps" in front of the screen, each with a plastic bag full of sand at their feet. As Chen Wu's Qi Energy surged in through the transmission device, the patients' bodies suddenly glowed with a faint golden light, and even the most severely affected A-Ming's younger sister could lift a finger and draw a crooked "Martial" character on her bedsheet.

A piercing screech came from the air vent on the 88th floor. Grey Shadow's Qi Energy Disrupter was dialed to maximum power, and Chen Wu's weight bag suddenly became scalding hot as the Magnetite Powder inside began to jump frantically. The white magnolias in the weight bag suddenly all bloomed at once, their fragrance exploding in the enclosed stairwell and neutralizing the black, chaotic energy into golden spots of light — like a sudden rain of petals.

"It's the Qi Energy resonance of Mutants worldwide!" On Lin Mo's tablet, the avatars of thirty million "cloud cheerleaders" lit up simultaneously, each person's palm facing the screen as the blue-gold energy flow converged into a river through the network cables. Chen Wu's peace lock suddenly grew hot, creating a cross-building resonance with the 118th-floor finish line, until even the steel cables in the elevator shaft hummed in harmony.

The final 10 floors became a true battlefield. Grey Shadow's Mutants no longer bothered with disguises; their mechanical prosthetic limbs suddenly popped out blades, forming a metal barrier in the hallway. "Out of the way!" The leader's Qi Energy carried a violence bred from drugs as he kicked the lead weights from his weight bag toward Chen Wu's face.

Chen Wu's weight bag suddenly began to spin, the iron sand pressing against the bag walls under centrifugal force to form a blue-gold shield. The moment the lead weights hit the shield, they were flattened into thin sheets by the Magnetite Powder. "The Qi Energy in your bodies is about to collapse," his voice echoed through the hallway, "If you keep using drugs to trigger it, your Meridians will rupture in three minutes."

The livestream suddenly cut to the medical reports of the three Mutants. In the future scenario automatically deduced by the System, their bodies exploded before the finish line, black toxins splashing across the screen. The Mutants in the comments section began spamming: "Don't use drugs! We'll teach you the correct breathing method!" The Global Martial Arts System's instructional video was pushed to the top of the trending list — it was the "Turtle Breathing Variation" taught by Chen Wu.

The most thrilling turn occurred on the 117th floor. Grey Shadow's hidden ultimate weapon suddenly activated — the glass curtain wall of the entire floor turned into a reflective mirror, reflecting Chen Wu's Qi Energy back at him and creating a massive energy vortex. The iron sand in his weight bag began to jump frantically as if trying to burst out. In the hospital monitor, A-Ming's younger sister's lock piece suddenly developed a fine crack, and the monitor let out a shrill alarm.

"Using Mirrors to Train Energy!" Grandpa Wang's roar exploded through the livestream signal. Chen Wu suddenly turned, letting the reflected Qi Energy strike the Iron Sand Bag on his back; the 50kg weight was actually shaken half an inch off the ground. The blue-gold energy flow bounced back and forth between him and the mirror, each collision causing another petal of the orchids in his weight bag to bloom, the fragrance diffusing through the ventilation ducts to fill the entire building.

The 118th-floor finish line shimmered with silver light under the moon. When Chen Wu's foot stepped onto the final stair, the Qi Energy resonance between the two buildings reached its peak. The peace lock suddenly erupted with a sun-like light, injecting itself into A-Ming's younger sister's ward along the invisible energy lines. On the monitor, the little girl's fingers slowly straightened, drawing a complete taiji diagram on the sheet, and the monitor's curve became like a calm river.

The three Mutants stopped in their tracks before the finish line. Their mechanical prosthetic limbs were falling off, revealing newborn flesh beneath — Chen Wu's reflected Qi Energy had actually repaired their genetic damage. The leader suddenly bowed to the camera: "We were wrong; traditional martial arts is not for destruction, but for protection." A miniature bomb rolled out of his weight bag, only to be instantly neutralized by Chen Wu using the fragrance of the orchids.

When Chen Wu removed his weight bag, the Magnetite Powder inside had turned blue-gold. The points balance of the Global Martial Arts System jumped frantically; as the 5 million prize money arrived, the System suddenly popped up a new prompt: "Detected the Qi Energy resonance of 100 million people; unlocked 'Group Deduction' ultimate permissions — can synchronously generate treatment plans for global Mutants."

On Lin Mo's tablet, hospitals all over the world were sending good news. Mutants in New York could stand steadily, patients in Tokyo could bend their fingers, and what excited the boy most was a video sent by A-Ming: the little girl was using the 'Cross-Strike' she had just learned to push open the ward window, the moonlight spilling over her face like a golden coating.

The celebration banquet of the Special Incident Response Department was held on the 118th-floor observation deck. When the Chief of the Enforcement Division raised her glass to clink with Chen Wu, the Qi Energy ripples on the glass formed a complete peace lock: "The Technical Department disassembled Grey Shadow's devices and discovered your Qi Energy sample hidden inside — they wanted to reverse-engineer the 'Tomb-Guarding Beast Breathing Technique', but instead, they ended up helping you complete the resonance."

Grandpa Wang's tobacco pipe traced an arc in the moonlight. The old man pointed at the city below, where the myriad of lights formed a massive Qi Energy network in the night: "When we climbed Zijin Mountain in 1951, your grandfather said the highest Realm of traditional martial arts is 'Ten Thousand People, One Energy'." He suddenly laughed, "Now two hundred million people worldwide are practicing your footwork; that is more precious than any trophy."

The Flower Girl's orchids all bloomed within the weight bag, their fragrance merging with the city's evening breeze. Her tablet showed the final data from the global livestream: 2.7 billion views, creating the largest Qi Energy resonance event in human history. "The people from the Mutant Mutual Aid Association said they want to designate today as 'Traditional Martial Arts Day'," the girl's cheeks flushed in the moonlight, "They even elected you as the Chairman."

Chen Wu's gaze fell upon the glass curtain wall of the observation deck. His own reflection overlapped with the city's lights, and blue-gold Qi Energy spread along the glass, resonating with every lit window. He suddenly understood that the meaning of the weight-bearing climb was never to challenge the height, but to let everyone trapped in a hospital ward know: someone was using their own footsteps to measure the path to health for them.

When the last member of the 'cloud cheerleaders' left the livestream, Chen Wu's peace lock suddenly trembled slightly. The homepage of the Global Martial Arts System changed to a new image: there was no trophy, no finish line, only a staircase extending from a training hall into the clouds, with a small figure standing on every step — there was A-Ming's younger sister, Scarface, the Flower Girl, and countless former strangers.

Chen Wu knew that this 118-floor height was just a beginning. In the future, there would be more "tall buildings" to climb and more "weights" to carry, but as long as the peace lock in his palm was still burning hot, and as long as there was someone counting the steps for you in the camera lens, this path will never be lonely.

Just like the city's Qi Energy network under the moonlight right now, what seemed like scattered points of light were actually linked into a warm river in the dark night. And with his every step, he was injecting a new tributary into this river — perhaps this is the most moving power of traditional martial arts: not conquering the world with fists, but lighting up hope with footsteps, so that every person moving forward with a heavy burden can see the flowers blooming at the top of the clouds.