Upon hearing this, all the Zhang Family members present couldn't help but freeze for a moment. Then they exchanged glances, utterly baffled.
What news had the Second-in-Command brought back?
Why was the Family Head so delighted after hearing it? Was he even preparing to go to war with the Yuan Family?
Could it be that he had invited some exceptionally powerful expert to lend them a hand?
Everyone asked for an explanation, but Zhang Henglong did not answer. Instead, he told them to stay in the family while he and Zhang Hengde left for a while.
Thus, under the puzzled and bewildered gazes of the Zhang Family's higher-ups, the two quickly drove to Su Xiaobai's temporary residence.
"Guest Elder Su isn't here?"
To keep their actions as discreet as possible, the two had deliberately concealed their figures and restrained their auras.
However, after they knocked on Su Xiaobai's door, Su Ling'er told them that he had gone out.
"Yeah, my brother hasn't come back yet."
Su Ling'er spoke in her crisp voice.
"All right, then. We'll come visit him again later!"
Zhang Henglong and Zhang Hengde did not leave. Instead, they went to a high place in the residential building opposite, guarding Su Ling'er while waiting for Su Xiaobai to return.
At the same time, Su Xiaobai was in the Warrior Hall, choosing weapons specially meant for Shadow.
Long blades, long swords, and some long-edged weapons capable of inflicting area damage... Su Xiaobai spent tens of thousands and bought five Alloy Grade weapons.
"System, equip Shadow with these five weapons!"
Su Xiaobai gave the order.
"Equipment complete!"
Far away, dozens of kilometers from the base, the Shadows had originally been fighting Fierce Beasts with their bare hands and feet. Suddenly, weapons appeared in their hands. Their movements and stances shifted at once as they began using the weapons to battle the Fierce Beasts!
After settling the weapons, Su Xiaobai specially selected some Microscopic Level Weapon Techniques suited to long swords and long blades.
After spending tens of thousands and an hour, Su Xiaobai recorded all five Microscopic Level Weapon Techniques.
"System, remove the three techniques currently being cultivated for now!"
"Replace them with these three!"
The three Shadows in the Automated Skill Training system changed their stances. Holding virtual long blades and long swords, they rapidly performed all kinds of movements.
In merely a few minutes.
All three Weapon Techniques had reached the Beginner level.
Su Xiaobai quickly replaced two of them.
"Done!"
"They've all reached the Beginner level!"
"Next, they just need some more time to reach the Intermediate level, then advance to the Advanced level. Shadow's strength will increase by at least fifty percent across the board!"
A glint flashed through Su Xiaobai's eyes.
Shadow's strength had already risen alongside Su Xiaobai's, reaching a level comparable to an Intermediate Martial Master... With the addition of weapons and Weapon Techniques, matching an Advanced Martial Master would certainly not be difficult!
As a result, the five Shadows' strength had surged. That meant their efficiency at fighting monsters would also soar!
By Su Xiaobai's current estimate, in one week, the income from Fierce Beast Materials alone would amount to at least hundreds of millions of Spirit Coins... If he refined a few pills along the way, earning several hundred million Spirit Coins a month would be a matter of minutes!
Just as Su Xiaobai was happily imagining his ever-increasing income and constantly rising strength, his expression suddenly changed.
"There are several more auras outside the Cultivation Room!"
Su Xiaobai's gaze turned solemn.
Spatial Perception swiftly radiated outward—
Sure enough.
There had originally been mostly Quasi-Warriors or Warriors waiting outside the Cultivation Room to exchange turns... But all of a sudden, a crowd of Martial Masters and Warriors came rushing in!
Intermediate Warriors, Advanced Warriors, Beginner Martial Masters, Intermediate Martial Masters... A rough count put them at more than thirty people!
Every one of them wore an unfriendly expression, with murderous light in their eyes.
Especially the Intermediate Martial Master leading them. He was staring fixedly at the Cultivation Room's door, as if he wished he could pass straight through it and drag Su Xiaobai out.
"You really made me search high and low..."
Who else could this Intermediate Martial Master be but Yuan Qi?
He had searched bitterly for Su Xiaobai for so long without finding him, as though he had vanished from the face of the earth... Who would have thought that just when Yuan Qi was about to give up, someone would suddenly report that Su Xiaobai had appeared in the Warrior Hall!
Yuan Qi immediately led his people there.
"Yuan Qi, shall we make our move?"
Another Intermediate Martial Master from the Yuan Family asked.
"This is the government's Warrior Hall! If we make a move here, the Yuan Family will suffer terribly!"
"There's no need to hurry. Once he comes out, we'll give him a proper 'welcome'!"
Yuan Qi's gaze was vicious.
Inside the Cultivation Room.
Through Spatial Perception, Su Xiaobai heard what Yuan Qi and the others were saying.
"Heh, I wasn't even looking for them, yet they've come knocking on my door!"
Su Xiaobai let out a cold laugh. "Perfect. Since they've delivered themselves to me, why should I hold back?"
He had made no attempt to conceal himself and had appeared openly in the Warrior Hall. That alone explained everything!
The Yuan Family wanted to kill him.
He wanted to kill the Yuan Family too.
After all, it was either they died or he did.
If he had not been concerned that the Yuan Family were residents of the Core Area and might alarm the great Lineages there, Su Xiaobai would never have waited until now.
But things were different now.
The other side had taken the initiative to come knocking, which meant they had found a foolproof way to conceal their actions and ensure that the great Lineages of the Core Area would not discover them... Su Xiaobai could make use of this to achieve a spectacular reversal and kill them instead!
"Chik—"
A sound like air leaking out rang forth as the Cultivation Room's door slowly opened.
Su Xiaobai restored his calm and composed expression, pretending not to have noticed anything as he walked openly out of the Cultivation Room.
"That's him!"
A sharp glint burst from Yuan Qi's eyes.
Seventeen years old, an Advanced Quasi-Warrior!
His appearance was exactly the same as in the picture!
"Excuse me."
Yuan Qi strode forward and blocked Su Xiaobai's path. He bared a row of teeth and said with an innocent smile, "You must be Su Xiaobai, Guest Elder Su, right?"
"Yes, that's me!"
Su Xiaobai put on a bewildered look.
"I'm from the Zhang Family. The Family Head wants to see you. He says there's an urgent matter to discuss with you!"
Yuan Qi wore a smile that concealed a blade.
"An urgent matter?"
"But I'm a little busy right now!"
Su Xiaobai put on an innocent face.
"Guest Elder Su, don't worry. We won't take up too much of your time. The Family Head is already waiting, and all the other Guest Elders have arrived. You're the only one missing!"
Yuan Qi said with a beaming smile.
"All right, then. Since everyone is already there, I can't very well refuse to go."
"Lead the way."
Su Xiaobai nodded and agreed.
A trace of delight and viciousness swept across Yuan Qi's eyes...
Under his guidance, Su Xiaobai got into the car and headed for the Core Area.
"Kid, you've wasted so much of my time. Just wait... Soon, you'll learn exactly how terrible the consequences are of becoming an enemy of the Yuan Family!"
Before you continue