A young man strode forward, his features youthful and tinged with worry. He was Luo Tianyou, the next direct successor of the Luo Family.
Though not of martial arts training age, he had already begun practicing Pile Skill prematurely because the lad possessed Innate Martial Bone!
At birth, he was designated as the next Clan Leader by the Luo Family and was brought up closely by Luo Xuansha.
He greatly idolized Ji Jingqiu, regarding him as his idol, claiming to have watched the video of Ji Jingqiu challenging the 7th floor of White Jade City countless times.
Thinking back on the video of "beating up the old man," Ji Jingqiu felt unusually embarrassed.
"I’m fine, just out for a walk."
Ji Jingqiu smiled, his gaze drifting towards the distant urban circle, and asked,
"Tianyou, has Anqing Urban Circle been peaceful lately?"
"Ah? Of course, it’s peaceful!" Luo Tianyou wrinkled his nose, "With our esteemed ancestor here, who dares to cause trouble in Anqing City?"
Ji Jingqiu then asked, "What about West 4 Mo Star?"
Luo Tianyou looked puzzled.
Ji Jingqiu realized he had asked the wrong person.
"Never mind, let’s go back."
On their way back, Luo Tianyou volunteered eagerly, "Big Brother Ji, if you stay a few more days, I’ll take you to visit the famous spots in our West 4 Mo Star."
Ji Jingqiu smiled and nodded slightly.
Returning to the banquet, as the toasting resumed, Ji Jingqiu seized an opportunity and, while unobserved, inquired softly to Luo Xuansha.
Luo Xuansha’s hand, holding the cup, paused in mid-air as his eyes suddenly deepened, casting an indescribable pressure on Ji Jingqiu.
This was the presence of a Heavenly Human Martial Artist, a completely different species from those below the Heavenly Person level, which is why there are those notions of Gods and Divine Prohibitions.
Luo Xuansha’s voice was filled with concern as he whispered, "Nephew, rest assured, under my watch, your safety is guaranteed. When the time comes, I will personally accompany you to visit the Sima Family."
Ji Jingqiu’s eyes flickered. Was this a hint?
Luo Xuansha set down his cup and patted Ji Jingqiu lightly, calmly saying,
"Some things are better left unseen and untouched; life will be much easier, and the path under your feet much smoother."
He raised his cup again and laughed, "As long as Nephew is with me, drinks are on the house, and all treatments will be of Heavenly Person standards!"
The warmth of these sentiments nearly overwhelmed Ji Jingqiu, who could only drink late into the night before finally dispersing.
Ji Jingqiu walked into the room arranged for him by the Luo Family, slowly pacing to the garden of the standalone facility, looking up at the Morning Star, slowly sobering up from the alcohol.
This trip had taken a somewhat unexpected turn from what he had envisioned. Since his arrival, he had been treated with great honor as usual.
He drank with Heavenly People, and the most promising of the millennium-old martial arts family was his fanboy...
"What can you see from here?"
The sudden, unfamiliar voice put Ji Jingqiu on high alert.
At this moment, within this estate, including Master Sui, there were two Heavenly People in total. Who was this newcomer, who could penetrate their detection without a sound!
He turned to look, seeing a middle-aged man dressed in the Federation Marshal’s uniform, with sharp brows slanting into his temples, bearing the presence of one who could dominate the land and sky with his robust physique and composed demeanor.
Ji Jingqiu’s eyes narrowed as he said gravely, "Is it Senior Xin from the Third Group Army?"
The middle-aged man nodded slightly, openly and indifferently saying, "I am Xin Lie."
The Third Army Commander of the Federation, a powerful figure who had already embarked on the second tier of the Heavenly Person.
Ji Jingqiu had heard stories about this man.
While preparing to achieve Reverse Innate, he had perused the materials in Dragon Tiger Dojo, including the former deeds of this man, which he still remembered vividly.
His chance to achieve Reverse Innate was quite unique—
It was a bowl of wontons.
According to documents, he was born in a war-torn area in the Western region, and on his eighth birthday, he suddenly craved wontons. When his mother went out to buy meat and dough for him, she encountered a skirmish with the rebel army and never returned home.
That event was like a thorn deeply embedded in his heart.
Later, after tasting countless kinds of wontons, he never found the flavor of his mother’s memory, struggling at the threshold of Reverse Innate for a full two years.
Finally, on his nineteenth birthday, he returned to his native place, bought flour and meat, went back to his already dilapidated home, and made himself a bowl of wontons, with which he finally let go of the past.
After his rise, he became one of the main figures within the Federation who insisted on a hardline policy towards the Western region.
Xin Lie spoke calmly, "I’ve received the message from the Divine Lord; come with me. You’ll never see what you want to see if you stay here."
Ji Jingqiu hesitated slightly. Should he inform Master Sui?
"Think it through before you leave," Xin Lie said with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound, "While you’re here, you’ll be the honored guest of the noble family, and almost all your demands could be satisfied. But once you leave this place, you won’t be able to enjoy these special treatments."
Ji Jingqiu was speechless. What did this mean?
Without saying anything more, Xin Lie just nodded, placed a hand on Ji Jingqiu’s shoulder, and tore open a rift in space, stepping into it.
Luo Tianyou rushed into a leisurely courtyard, looking hurried.
"Great Ancestor, Big Brother Ji is missing!"
Luo Xuansha abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing like lightning, and his spirit swept across the entire Anqing Urban Circle, then spreading continually until it covered the whole West 4 Mo Star.
This overt display of ability attracted the attention of Sui Canghai.
Moments later, Luo Xuansha exclaimed in fury, "Surname Sui, what exactly are you planning to do by bringing Ji here? Are you trying to make him stand against those people?!"