Invitation

The moment he entered Tiannan University, Yaoguang activated his sensory secret technique, quietly scanning for any anomalous individuals that might appear. As a densely populated gathering place, a location like this should theoretically harbor no shortage of demons. However... After making a full sweep, Yaoguang found nothing. "Young Master Yaoguang, this way, please," Lei Yun said, adding, "Since you mentioned not wanting to attract attention, I didn't notify anyone." Yaoguang nodded. Stepping out of the vehicle, he followed Lei Yun toward the venue of the robotics competition. The venue was set up on the main sports ground. Because Tiannan University placed considerable importance on this competition, it naturally drew the attention of many students. Following the flow of people, Yaoguang soon arrived at the perimeter of the competition area. He glanced toward the judges' table, but saw no sign of Director Zhou. "Director Zhou's car has already arrived, but he must still be indoors, which is why he hasn't come out yet..." Lei Yun explained. No sooner had she spoken than a group of middle-aged men dressed as officials walked toward the judges' table, surrounded by an entourage. Having seen the video, Yaoguang recognized Director Zhou immediately. Yet as he probed with his senses... He detected nothing out of the ordinary about the elderly man. *Not him?* Yaoguang thought to himself. Moving with the crowd, he made his way closer to Director Zhou. With his vision and perception having reached the level of fifth-order spirit intent, he could judge a person's strength and even the circulation of their qi and blood from the subtlest cues. After close observation... He had to concede one thing. This Director Zhou was merely a man in his sixties. The sort who would likely retire and return home to rest in another year or two. Moreover, he suffered from deficient qi and blood, insufficient cardiac vigor, and similar ailments. Seeing this clearly, Yaoguang once again quieted himself to perceive his surroundings. There truly wasn't a single anomalous individual in the vicinity. In the end, he withdrew his gaze and turned around. "Let's go." Though perplexed, Lei Yun obediently followed him back to the car. Su Chiming had allocated Yaoguang three vehicles in one go: an off-roader, a family sedan, and a sports car. Considering they were visiting a place crowded with young people like Tiannan University, Lei Yun had chosen to drive the off-roader. Coming from Su Chiming, none of the vehicles was ordinary. The market price of this off-roader exceeded three million. At that moment, several young students were already taking photos in front of it. Just as Lei Yun pressed the key fob, Yaoguang turned his gaze to the side. Zhang Rufeng, who had tailed them not long ago, along with Zhang Hong, whom he had met once before, were walking toward them accompanied by another middle-aged man. Yaoguang's attention immediately locked onto that middle-aged man. The aura radiating from him... Was exceedingly strange. It was like oil thrown onto a roaring fire, blazing fiercely. This state of combustion kept his physical body constantly pushed to a certain extreme limit. This feeling... It reminded him of his Star Ignition Art. Star Ignition also momentarily ignited one's vital potential to break through physical limits. Although fundamentally different in nature, both methods resulted in an abnormal surge in power. Yet the human body had its limits. Maintaining such a state indefinitely was tantamount to overdrawing one's life force. Take this middle-aged man, for instance... Remaining in this state, living another eight to ten years would be his absolute limit. If he engaged in combat often, repeatedly erupting his qi and blood, his lifespan would shorten even further. While Yaoguang examined the middle-aged man, the man walked right up to him. "Su Yaoguang." Beside him, Lei Yun's face changed drastically the instant she saw the man. "Zhang Tianji?!" Zhang Tianji! The Grandmaster of the Zhang family. Rebellious in his youth, he had been expelled from the family, only to display Grandmaster-level strength over a decade later, prompting the head of the Zhang family to formally invite him back to acknowledge his ancestral roots. "A Grandmaster?" Yaoguang looked at Zhang Tianji. He probed carefully with his senses... If it truly came down to a fight, Zhang Tianji in this state was indeed no weaker than a Grandmaster. In fact, he was even slightly stronger than an ordinary Grandmaster. Anyone unaware of the truth—even other Grandmasters fighting him—would feel the tempestuous force he unleashed and assume he was an expert at the same realm as themselves. Yet this kind of "Grandmaster" strength... Had it been purchased with his very life? "Not bad at all." Seeing Yaoguang remain composed before a Grandmaster like himself, Zhang Tianji nodded in approval. "If I'm not mistaken, your martial cultivation has already reached the Martial Master realm of tendon-changing and bone-forging, hasn't it?" He seemed to be asking, but in truth, he had absolute confidence in his own judgment. "Zhang Hong told me that you once displayed a secret martial technique before him, rattling his internal organs and leaving him dizzy with ringing ears. Lacking insight, he foolishly believed that sheer physical strength was enough to execute such a secret technique. But I know that to perform a secret technique, one must possess an adequate foundation." The Zhang family Grandmaster smiled with self-assurance. "On top of that, the moment you returned to the Su family, Su Chiming immediately gave you special treatment, let you choose a villa in Yuyuan, appointed you to the External Affairs Hall, and allowed you to form your own combat team... Every sign points to a single conclusion: at a mere nineteen years of age, you have already become a Martial Master! You have displayed astonishing martial talent, and the path to Grandmaster lies open before you!" With that, he sighed with emotion. "He is grooming you as a future Grandmaster." Beside them, Lei Yun was startled by the Zhang family's intelligence network, but considering how difficult it was to keep such matters hidden, she wasn't particularly surprised. It was just that... The way she looked at him was somewhat peculiar. Yaoguang, on the other hand, showed not the slightest change in expression. "What exactly are you trying to say?" "Remarkable composure." This reaction drew another word of praise from Zhang Tianji. "Among young people, those who can remain unflinching even if Mount Tai were to crumble before their eyes are exceedingly rare. For that alone, you are worthy of being called an outstanding talent." Pausing, he cut straight to the point: "You probably don't know who I am. Though your mother, Zhang Ya, and I were not brother and sister by blood, we were closest when we were young. The reason I left the Zhang family back then was my disgust at their standing by and doing nothing while Xiaoya was mistreated by Su Huaifeng. But now I have returned. No one will ever bully either of you again." He extended a hand in invitation. "Come back. I have no intention of marrying or having children in this lifetime. You are Xiaoya's child; in the future, I will treat you just like my own son." Yaoguang glanced at him. For this Zhang family Grandmaster, it wasn't a question of whether he wanted to have children, but... Whether he even could. Regardless, that didn't matter. "Not interested." Yaoguang said to Lei Yun, "Let's go." With that, he turned and walked toward his car. "Yaoguang!" Zhang Tianji called out again. "Don't you want to break through to become a Grandmaster in a short amount of time?!" The Grandmaster lowered his voice solemnly: "As long as you are willing to return to the Zhang family and become one of us, I can use the merit points I've accumulated over the years to petition the president for a precious slot to help you attain the Grandmaster realm!" "A Grandmaster like you?" Yaoguang looked at him. Then he shook his head. Zhang Tianji froze momentarily, his pupils contracting sharply. "What do you know?" "Isn't it obvious? A single glance is enough to tell." "A glance?!" Zhang Tianji stared at Yaoguang. Seeming to realize something, an astonished look crossed his face. The next instant, he directly channeled his qi and blood, letting it circulate openly. And almost the moment his qi and blood surged, Yaoguang's gaze instinctively traced the pathway of its flow. This subtle reaction caused an unprecedented gleam to erupt in Zhang Tianji's eyes. "An innate divine gift?!" he cried out, unable to contain his shock. Ignoring Zhang Tianji, Yaoguang prepared to leave. Yet at that moment, Zhang Tianji stepped forward in great agitation, blocking his path. "Yaoguang! Remarkable boy! No wonder you could reach Martial Master in such a short time. You are simply... a natural Martial Saint seed! You have an even greater hope than other Martial Saint seeds of ascending to the Divine Realm, becoming the pinnacle of this world to stand against those..." His expression turned dead serious. "No matter what, joining us is the best choice for you!" At this moment, something clicked in Yaoguang's mind, and he asked abruptly, "Could it be... that your organization also possesses some kind of refining technology?" "Hm?!" Zhang Tianji's heart leaped. "Has someone already contacted you?" Immediately following that, another thought seemed to strike him: "Of course. No matter how extraordinary your talent, without a powerhouse guiding you, you couldn't possibly have cultivated to such a degree in so short a time... Who was it? Xia Wuyuan? Feng Dong?" "Xia Wuyuan?" Yaoguang had assumed the organization behind Zhang Tianji was connected to Yulong International and possessed a refining technology similar to divine blood. If that were the case... He would naturally be glad to join, ferret every last one of them out, and eliminate them one by one. Yet hearing him mention Xia Wuyuan... It seemed that wasn't the case after all. "Whether it's joining your organization or returning to the Zhang family, I must understand what your organization is first," Yaoguang said. "Our organization..." Zhang Tianji pondered for a moment. Taking Yaoguang's status into account, he said gravely, "It is called the Jishi Society." Looking at Yaoguang, he said, "Trust me, if you join us, you will never regret it!" He paused, then continued, "Only by joining us will your talent not go to waste. In the future... let alone becoming a Martial Saint, even ascending to the Divine Realm will be well within your reach." "You must at least let me know the nature of the Jishi Society," Yaoguang said. "Someone will contact you to explain the tenets of our Jishi Society in detail," Zhang Tianji replied. He hadn't forgotten the mission on his shoulders. "As long as you are willing to join us, I can grant you any condition. Even if you want the entire Zhang family, I have the authority to hand it over to you." Beside them, Lei Yun glanced at Zhang Tianji. The Zhang family had developed rapidly in recent years entirely by riding on Zhang Tianji's coattails. This promise of his... Was by no means weightless. "Then let's learn more about each other before drawing any conclusions." Yaoguang nodded, turned around, and walked away.