C22 The Grandmaster Recommended the King Accepted a Disciple!

Beyond the wilds of Hengcheng, Lee Tianhe was making haste, dust swirling in his wake. Suddenly, a black shadow plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily into the earth with a thunderous boom, gouging out a massive crater. The unexpected upheaval startled Lee Tianhe.

"What's happening?" he wondered, his heart pounding as he cautiously approached.

Inside the crater, he found a black-robed figure, tattered and weak, lying amidst a mess of wounds and blood, exuding an air of frailty. Lee Tianhe's brow furrowed slightly, but before he could step closer, the figure's eyes snapped open—wild, beast-like eyes that struck fear into Lee Tianhe's heart. With just one look, he felt as if he'd been completely immobilized.

Dropping to his knees, Lee Tianhe pleaded, "Forgive my ignorance; I did not recognize you and approached carelessly!"

The man in the black robe was none other than a Golden Body Expert from the Divine God Religion, gravely injured from a powerful blow dealt by Bai Zhan. Despite his escape, his wounds were severe.

The black-robed man fixed a piercing gaze on Lee Tianhe, his voice icy as he asked, "Who are you?"

Lee Tianhe, not daring to conceal anything, shared his story. The man's expression turned curious upon hearing it.

"Su Yu... always Su Yu..." he murmured, a cryptic smile creeping across his face as he regarded Lee Tianhe. "Would you be interested in joining the Divine God Religion?"

...

At the Hengcheng Martial Cultivator Association, Wang Loong couldn't help but beam at Su Yu, finding him exceptionally agreeable.

"Ah, the Golden God's Favored," he marveled. "In decades, our human race has seen only one. Now with you, we have two. To think that our modest Jiangnan Province could produce such a prodigy—it's truly a fortune for us!"

As Wang Loong appraised Su Yu, his smile never waned. Su Yu, for his part, offered a nervous chuckle, saying nothing. After all, he was in the presence of a Grandmaster Stage Expert. The only other top-tier expert Su Yu had ever met was Lau Kuang, a practitioner of the Viscera Refining Stage.

With Bai Zhan's arrival, both the Golden Body and Grandmaster Stage Experts were present.

In the presence of Jiangnan Province's only publicly acknowledged Grandmaster Stage Expert, Su Yu found himself somewhat reserved.

Perceiving Su Yu's restraint, Wang Loong gestured dismissively and said, "Don't be so formal. With your talent, ascending to Grandmaster is simply a matter of time. You may even reach beyond, to the esteemed title of the Grandmaster Stage."

Bai Zhan stood by, his eyes wide with astonishment at his chairman's demeanor.

In Jiangnan Province, his chairman was renowned for his stern impartiality, and Bai Zhan had never seen anyone elicit such a response from him.

But the realization that Su Yu was a golden God's Favored put Bai Zhan's mind at ease.

A golden God's Favored was a rarity, with perhaps only the capital and Devil Capital capable of producing such prodigious talents.

For Jiangnan Province to have produced one was nothing short of a blessing.

Su Yu responded with a smile.

Wang Loong, smiling warmly at Su Yu, rubbed his hands together somewhat sheepishly before speaking up.

"Ahem, Su Yu, do you have a mentor?"

At those words, Bai Zhan and the others were taken aback.

What did this imply?

It suggested that the venerable master was considering taking on a disciple!

Being the disciple of such a master would give one considerable sway in Jiangnan Province, and even across Great Xia, as long as one steered clear of those with titled power.

Merely being known as Wang Loong's disciple would deter many from crossing Su Yu.

For a brief moment, even a Golden Body Stage expert like Bai Zhan couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Su Yu, momentarily taken aback, quickly responded, "I have no mentor yet. Senior, are you suggesting...?"

Wang Loong's eyes sparkled, but just as he was about to speak, his ears twitched, and his expression subtly shifted.

He composed himself swiftly, and none of the others seemed to notice the fleeting change.

Then they heard Wang Loong exhale a sigh.

"I had the intention of making you my disciple, but as a golden God's Favored, it would be a disservice to your potential to bind you to me. Your journey is long, and your talent should not be confined to my tutelage."

"But I do have an old friend in the capital who could take you on as his apprentice. That way, your talent wouldn't go to waste. What do you think?"

Su Yu was taken aback.

After all that talk, he had thought he was going to be taken on as a disciple, but it turned out to be just a referral.

Su Yu mulled it over.

Still, anyone Wang Loong would recommend had to be at least a grandmaster. And judging from Wang Loong's words...

The person he was suggesting might be even more formidable than himself.

Could it be... someone beyond the rank of grandmaster?

Su Yu's anticipation grew, and he quickly responded.

"I'd be honored to accept the president's recommendation!"

Wang Loong smiled, nodding in approval, and continued.

"Good, it's settled then. Once you've gotten settled at the God's Favored Camp in a few days, Bai Zhan will escort you to the Martial Artist Association in Jiangnan Province. I'll arrange for you to meet him then."

"Thank you, Mr. President!"

Su Yu expressed his gratitude without delay.

Wang Loong surveyed the room and spoke with a detached air.

"The Hengcheng Martial Cultivator Association will be bolstering its defenses against the Divine God Religion. Next year's resources will be increased by fifty percent."

Dong Buwei and Lau Kuang were ecstatic.

It was only a fifty percent increase, but that was for an entire year's resources.

With this influx, Hengcheng could surely produce more formidable warriors, perhaps even a Golden Body Stage expert!

"Thank you, Grandmaster Wang!"

They both bowed in thanks.

"That's enough for now. We've repelled the Divine God Religion's forces, and they likely won't dare to make another move. Rest up tonight. Bai Zhan, you'll take Su Yu to report to the God's Favored Camp tomorrow."

"As you command!"

Bai Zhan acknowledged.

With a nod, Wang Loong left the room, Bai Zhan following close behind.

Once outside, Bai Zhan asked, puzzled.

"Mr. President, with your grandmaster-level skills, aren't you qualified to be that young man's master?"

This was Bai Zhan's lingering question. He had sensed Wang Loong's desire to take Su Yu as a disciple, yet for some reason, he had ultimately decided against it.

Wang Loong cast a wary glance at Bai Zhan, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. He let out a heavy sigh and said, "Do you think I don't want to speak up? But just as I was about to, I caught a whispered message."

"A whispered message?"

"Yes, indeed. To think I could hear that individual's message is a stroke of luck, thanks to this youngster!"

"Who could it be that even you, the president, are taken aback?"

"It's not just anyone. It's the very same person who, on his own, wiped out an entire race on the Myriad Clan Battlefield. You might have heard of him."

"The Dragon Destroying King!"