"That stone must be in that guy’s hands!" the tall, bearded man in the breakfast diner said. He was Robert. He hastily tossed aside the bun he had been holding, grabbed a black backpack, left the diner, and quickened his pace, moving like a whirlwind.
The diner staff noticed someone running off and chased outside. "Hey! You haven’t paid your bill yet!"
But they discovered the man was already gone!
"Damn, must’ve seen a ghost! It’s just a few buns—was it worth running off like that?"
Meanwhile, Tang Zhong remained leisurely as he wandered through Yun City. If all went according to plan, his use of Instantaneous Movement would have been spotted by the other party, meaning Robert would show up sooner or later.
However, Tang Zhong was never one to sit and wait for trouble. For him, there was still much to do.
Namely, giving Robert a target.
So Tang Zhong began spreading rumors in various stone gambling markets. Every stone he picked contained jade, setting the whole market abuzz. Yet, after uncovering the jade, he left without taking a piece, departing under the astonished gazes of onlookers.
For Tang Zhong now, wealth was no longer of great importance.
His goal was simple—to let Robert find him.
Finally, after leaving the fifth stone gambling market,
Tang Zhong noticed someone tailing him.
Pretending not to notice, he walked straight ahead. Yun City’s tropical rainforest climate meant many abandoned farmlands dotted the region. In the distance, he could see dilapidated villages, remnants of a time when the locals prospered from stone gambling. Following the money, they had abandoned their old homes in search of fortune.
Tang Zhong pressed deeper into an old, deserted house. Once inside, he stopped abruptly and turned around.
Addressing the empty air behind him, he said, "You can come out now."
"Impressive—you noticed me long ago but didn’t let it show, did you?" The voice from the air replied. A figure emerged slowly—a man wearing a black coat, carrying a black backpack, with a round hat atop his head. His facial features revealed a beard and a subtly raised smirk at the corners of his mouth.
"Finally appeared!" Tang Zhong smiled.
"You must be an ability user as well," the man in the black coat said. "Hello, my name is Robert. Very nice to meet you."
Tang Zhong squinted slightly, confirming it was Robert.
Robert removed his hat, revealing his full face. A faint smile played on his lips, but his rugged face looked menacing. More striking was the texture of his skin, which seemed more like bark than human flesh, and a scar shaped like a cross stretched across his face.
"You’re probably wondering why I’m after you, but there’s no need to wonder," Robert stated coldly. "Judging by your appearance and age, you must be Xuan Country’s Martial Arts Master!"
Tang Zhong remained silent.
"I saw you on video—you managed to use Instantaneous Movement. It seems there’s some sort of treasure on you!" As Robert mentioned "treasure," his piercing gaze locked tightly onto Tang Zhong, as if trying to scrutinize him thoroughly.
Robert finished his observation and chuckled. "You don’t have to be so tense. If I wanted to kill you, I’d have done it long ago. Besides, killing you would be a breeze for me. After all, I’m an S-class ability user, fully capable of countering Xuan Country’s Martial Arts Grandmasters!"
"The reason I haven’t killed you yet is that I need something from you. Did you happen to acquire a peculiar stone at some point?"
Robert’s gaze fixed upon Tang Zhong.
Tang Zhong was well aware of what Robert meant. His understanding of the stone was limited to the ten Flame Dragon Soldiers’ directive to search for it. Beyond that, he didn’t know what the stone was. Maybe Robert knew more.
"Yes," Tang Zhong said.
"Excellent, you’re honest. Seems my power is intimidating enough," Robert sneered.
"Now, I’ll give you two choices. The first is to renounce your Xuan Country nationality and join Lucao Kingdom!" Robert said coldly.
"No other options?" Tang Zhong asked.
"There is. Hand over the stone, and then I’ll kill you. I trust you know what the correct choice is?" Robert replied.
"Still no other options?" Tang Zhong pressed.
Robert gave him choices, which suggested the stone wasn’t something one could simply use upon obtaining it. Otherwise, Robert wouldn’t bother giving him any choice!
It seemed Robert didn’t know how to use the stone either. Hence the fallback option—to force its surrender.
"You want more options?" Robert’s pupils suddenly dilated, and the surrounding air dropped into a freezing chill, as though they had plunged into an ice cellar.
"Renounce your nationality, join us, and we’ll provide you with formidable support. Someday, you’ll become extraordinarily powerful," Robert tempted.
He clenched his hand tightly, golden light surging from his palm.
Suddenly, he targeted a nearby withered tree, unleashing the golden light upon it.
The tree, covered by the golden glow, seemed to come alive. Its roots shot skyward like veins, piercing the clouds. The earth trembled violently before the tree transformed into a colossal horizontal hammer, smashing down and creating a massive pit in the ground.
"Did you see that? That’s my power. Impressive, isn’t it? Can someone like you—a Xuan Country Martial Arts Master—possess this kind of strength?"
Robert rampaged with his control over the tree roots, causing massive craters to form across the ground as dust and debris filled the air.
Tang Zhong watched closely. This ability to manipulate tree roots must be some special technique.
But it didn’t seem to belong to Robert. It appeared to be something gifted to him!
"What’s wrong? Still unimpressed? What are you hesitating for? What’s so great about Xuan Country?"
"Join us, and you’ll gain power like mine. What are you waiting for?"
Tang Zhong narrowed his eyes. He could tell that Robert was nothing more than an ordinary pawn. There was no need to take him seriously.
If he wanted to uncover more intel, he’d need a different approach.
Relaxing, Tang Zhong lazily gazed at Robert. "Your power—you think it’s strong?"
"What did you say?" Robert’s eyes narrowed into slits.
"I said your power—it’s downright small. And it’s borrowed—it doesn’t even belong to you. The one who granted you power is hardly anything noteworthy either," Tang Zhong smirked.
Robert froze for a moment before chuckling. "You’ve got quite the arrogance. Now I’m very curious—what do you consider truly strong power? Can you... show me?"