"Find Zhou Long for me," he said to the woman who dared not move an inch, "Considering his usual pace, he should have arrived days, even weeks ago." The master of the Dragon Army continued as he nodded. The woman stepped backward, leaving the room without once turning her back on the master.
As the master of the Dragon Army leaned back in his chair, the room echoed with loud laughter once the woman was gone.
A while later, there was a knock on the door. Zhou Long entered, "Commander, you summoned me."
Unlike the previous woman, Zhou Long did not kneel but instead bowed deeply in front of the Commander. The Commander nodded, signaling his respect for the man before him.
"The white-haired boy finally arrived at the main office of the Dragon Army," said God. His words made Zhou Long lift his head, his expression brimming with happiness. "Commander, I believe you agree with me that we need to build a better relationship with him. Undoubtedly, he is a key figure to General Frozen."
"I do not oppose," the master said with a smile, "But we need to inform General Frozen that the young man has arrived at our Dragon Core. If possible, try to keep him here. Grant him an A-level rank and let him enjoy himself in the city. Ensure that four King-level experts follow him and keep his friends away. There is no need for us to eliminate them ourselves."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Long could only acknowledge it. Before he turned to prepare to carry out his orders, he bowed deeply once more.
As he left the room, a smile appeared on his face, and a self-satisfied chuckle could be heard as he walked forward. It was evident that they had achieved something endorsed by General Frozen. This was something from which Zhou Long would reap significant rewards.
Yan Xiaobao and his friends waited several hours before the woman returned. She brought with her a large stack of documents, a friendly smile lighting up her face.
"Honored guests," she began, her tone causing Yan Xiaobao a bit of concern. Why would she treat outsiders like them, who did not belong to the Dragon Army, with such kindness? However, before he had time to ponder, the woman continued, "Perhaps I could persuade you to stay within our Dragon Army. We have luxurious small accommodations with courtyards that will suit you perfectly. As long as you remain within our grand city, you’re welcome to stay."
"That’s not all," she added with a smile, continuing to list benefit after benefit, shocking the group of cultivators. "Finally, if you choose to stay here, you will receive an A-level clearance and be allowed to experience the Dragon Core in any way you desire."
Upon hearing that they were even willing to grant them A-level clearance, all six of them were taken aback. They fully understood the value of B-level clearance to them, and now it could be upgraded to A-level.
Thinking about this, a gentle smile appeared on Yan Xiaobao’s face. He nodded, doing the opposite of what his friends thought he would.
Yan Xiaobao was not drawn by the enticing rewards or the prospect of A-level access to the Dragon Core; instead, he remembered his promise to Lan Feng. A promise to investigate what had happened to all the laws that had been abducted by the Dragon Army—laws that seemed to have been affected for many years now.
For valid reasons, Yan Xiaobao could not disclose to his friends why he suddenly decided to stay at the Dragon Army Headquarters, but fortunately, none of them questioned him. Everyone accepted the decision he had made.
Yan Xiaobao nodded, as if everything had fallen into place. The group was promptly escorted to a large house in a quiet area. The house was spacious enough to accommodate over a hundred men, yet only six passed through the guarded gates, which made Yan Xiaobao smile slightly.
As soon as they entered the house, another servant appeared to change their B-level badges into A-level badges. This took less than a minute, yet just having the A-level badge filled Yan Xiaobao with excitement. With this badge, he could nearly go anywhere, and the goal to uncover the fate of the laws felt closer than ever.
After the woman and servant left the house, everyone turned to Yan Xiaobao, waiting for an explanation. Their original plan was to deliver the mission and find a way to escape the underground city, a route back to the surface world.
"Relax," Yan Xiaobao said with a smile, "With this rank badge, we should be able to quickly find the exit," he explained, taking his time to look around. "Not just the exit; we should also be able to figure out what is happening to these laws."
"Since the Four Divine Beasts created the dungeon, the laws have been in existence. They are vital to Lan Feng," he continued. Xu Biao and Xie Lan were puzzled as to why Yan Xiaobao, renowned for his expertise, cared about some laws; however, they said nothing because their opinions were ultimately inconsequential.
"He wants us to find out and determine what’s happening to the laws," he said, his ice-blue eyes glinting with golden light, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. He added, "He has permitted us to act as we deem fit, using any necessary means. Should a fight break out, he has already promised me that I may wield all of Wu Wei’s sacred techniques that he has been diligently cultivating for this moment."
Seeing the smile on Yan Xiaobao’s face and hearing the young man’s words, all his friends couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief before starting to smile.