An Invitation? He Might Not Think Mine Worth His While

In the valley.

Silence.

Chu Lan stared at the figure commanding lightning. She considered herself strong already, having reached Divine Axe Fourth Star.

But even Divine Axe Fifth Stars found Rank B Aberrations troublesome. It was far beyond her ability to handle, which was why they had needed to rally everyone in the military to work together and hold back that Vicious Dog.

Yet unexpectedly, the Rank B Vicious Dog that had required such a massive mobilization from them had been easily slain by the other man with a single slash.

This man... seemed to be Wang Liang's friend?

Chu Lan's gaze shifted between Wang Liang and Fang Yi. Wang Liang bringing him in earlier had been thoroughly against protocol. If not for the emergency, she would have thrown him out long ago.

Thinking back on it now, it was fortunate that it had been an emergency.

Otherwise, Restricted Zone 019 would have been finished.

As for Wang Liang, he looked burly and honest, but he was actually quite capable and had already reached Divine Axe Two Stars.

He was honest by nature and diligent in his daily work.

That was why Chu Lan had readily approved his leave request this time.

She had not expected... Wang Liang's friend to have so much hidden up his sleeve.

"Cough, cough. Yi Zi, Yi Zi?"

A soft cough interrupted Chu Lan's thoughts.

It was Wang Liang.

Looking left and right beneath the curious, astonished stares of his teammates, Wang Liang jogged over to Fang Yi.

Then... he punched Fang Yi on the shoulder.

"Returning kindness with hostility? I hit the dog, and you hit me?" Fang Yi said with a smile as he sheathed his blade.

"You've got some nerve saying that! You hid everything from me and never told me!"

Wang Liang gave a bitter smile.

He had thought that the information he possessed through the military had opened the door to a new world for his best friend.

He had never imagined that this guy had already kicked the door down, walked all the way to the front, and was asking him from afar why he had not caught up yet.

That was the impression Fang Yi's display of strength had just given him.

Talent so powerful that he could not catch up even on horseback.

It really made him jealous.

Still, as his brother, Wang Liang was genuinely happy for Fang Yi. In this turbulent, unknown evolution, they had both boarded the ship bound for a new world.

"I never thought you were already a Pioneer."

Wang Liang looked at what Fang Yi had just shown.

One palm strike, one slash.

With a crack of thunder, a god took the stage.

If someone had recorded that scene and posted it online, it would have instantly climbed into the top three trending short videos and set countless teenagers' chuunibyou hearts ablaze.

"When did you awaken?"

"A while ago."

"Damn it, are you pretending to be low-key while secretly acting all powerful? If I ask how long 'a while ago' is and you casually tell me it was one day, I'm not falling for it! I won't ask!"

Only close friends talked like that.

After saying that, Wang Liang truly did not press further. He had only come over because he was worried about Fang Yi and wanted to see whether he had been hurt.

As for anything else—his strength and all that—in Wang Liang's eyes, whether Fang Yi was strong or weak, a Pioneer with High-level Attributes or an ordinary person, he was still his best friend. That was enough.

Fang Yi felt the same way.

However...

"Friend, thank you for lending us a hand."

A distinctive female voice rang out.

Upon hearing it, Wang Liang's body visibly tensed. His eyes darted between his childhood friend and his superior.

"You're welcome. I did it to save my friend."

Fang Yi's tone and expression were calm as he said it.

But no one thought he was showing off. Everyone clearly understood the situation just now. Without his intervention, the casualties would certainly have been severe.

"My name is Chu Lan. I am currently in charge of guarding Forbidden Land 019. You saved Forbidden Land 019. Could I have your contact information? I need to report this truthfully."

"No problem."

Fang Yi knew the official procedures were strict, so he left his phone number.

Chu Lan said a few more words of thanks to Fang Yi, all very official expressions of gratitude. She did not ask about his realm or attribute, seemingly having no intention of prying.

Once she had finished thanking him, Chu Lan turned and directly told Wang Liang to see him out.

Wang Liang looked at Chu Lan somewhat blankly. After seeing Fang Yi off to his car, he sprinted all the way back into the Forbidden Land to find Chu Lan.

At that moment, Chu Lan was crouching beside the Vicious Dog's corpse, examining the residual electrical charge and traces of flames scattered across the ground.

"Commander, I don't understand. Yi Zi is so strong, no weaker than those specially invited Pioneers. Why didn't you invite him to join the military directly?"

Wang Liang was straightforward by nature and never hid what was on his mind. If he had a question, he asked it outright.

In his view, Fang Yi's strength was no less than his commander's. His killing of the Rank B Aberration just now was proof enough. With the Great World Change occurring so frequently these days, the military was in desperate need of manpower. No matter how one looked at it, they should have brought Yi Zi aboard.

Chu Lan stood, dusted off her hands, instructed the others not to touch the electrical charge while handling the corpse, then turned to look at Wang Liang.

"You think I should have invited Fang Yi to join the military?"

"Of course. He's a Pioneer to begin with, and places rich in spiritual energy are better suited for his cultivation. Besides, military pay isn't low, the benefits are good, and he could receive intelligence immediately. Didn't those specially invited Pioneers agree to join for exactly those reasons?"

Wang Liang was referring to the military's precedent of inviting non-military Pioneers.

Previously, there had been very few Pioneers in the military, so the higher-ups had invited several people to join, offering especially generous terms that made many others envy them to death.

After hearing him out, Chu Lan glanced at him.

"It seems you really are close to him, running over to find me over something like this. But Wang Liang, you can tell, can't you? Your friend is no ordinary person."

The strength Fang Yi had displayed was only one aspect. What Chu Lan valued even more was his High-level Thunder Attribute, the nemesis of the Dark Attribute.

Abnormal incidents were erupting across the Xia Kingdom with increasing frequency, causing endless misery. It was easy to imagine that once a Pioneer with a High-level Thunder Attribute appeared, every military department would scramble to recruit him.

More terrifying still, she did not believe that was Fang Yi's full strength.

"The strength he has shown may only be the tip of the iceberg. Yet even that is enough to leave us far behind. A Pioneer who can reach this level so quickly must possess unprecedented instincts. Luck, courage, and ability—he cannot lack any of them."

The more Wang Liang listened, the more his heart raced.

From his commander's words, he heard undisguised admiration and respect. His childhood friend, whom he had not seen for years, was actually so mysterious?

Wouldn't recruiting someone so powerful into the military be even better?

But Chu Lan's next words plunged him into thought.

"I don't think he would necessarily think my invitation worth his while."

Chu Lan had said "my," not "the military's."

Chu Lan saw things much more clearly than Wang Liang did. She understood Fang Yi's value perfectly well.

A lone fighter could possess such terrifying strength, along with such a powerful Thunder Attribute. The military would certainly extend an invitation, but Chu Lan would not be the one making it.

Yes, Chu Lan believed her position was too low. She was not qualified to invite him.

"Commander, you mean... you're not worthy?" Wang Liang suddenly understood.

"...It's enough that you understand. Did you have to say it out loud? Hurry up and deal with that Vicious Dog's corpse!"