Imperial Capital.
In a luxurious courtyard, a black-haired boy continuously practiced the accuracy of his magic against the moving wooden stakes ten meters away.
"Bang~"
"Bang~"
"..."
Black currents of electricity shot out like snakes, striking with pinpoint accuracy every time. Under the impact of the Black Lightning, the moving stakes instantly exploded into splinters one after another!
"Young Master Chen Lang, your accuracy has improved quite a bit again!"
Just as Chen Lang destroyed several wooden stakes with the Power of Lightning, a voice of praise came from within the courtyard.
Chen Lang paused when he heard the voice and turned to look at the middle-aged man who had spoken. Even with his extraordinary mental strength, he had failed to notice the man's arrival.
Chen Lang was not surprised. Looking at the approaching chief steward, Li Yan, he asked, "Uncle Li, how come you have time to visit me today?"
Although the other man was not a member of the Chen Clan, he was still a genuine steward with considerable authority.
The fact that he could become a clan steward despite being an outsider was enough to prove his status.
"It's like this, Young Master Chen Lang. The Mu Clan has arranged for a direct descendant to form a Marriage Alliance with our Chen Clan. The clan head sent me to call you over."
Although Li Yan held a very high position in the Chen Clan, he still showed the proper respect in front of a direct descendant.
"A Marriage Alliance..."
Chen Lang's first reaction was naturally some resistance, but he had lived in this world for nearly eighteen years.
He understood perfectly well that after being born into a Great Clan and enjoying conveniences that many others could not from childhood, he naturally had to obey the old-fashioned arrangements of the family, with everything centered around the clan.
He was not the sort of rigid person who blindly followed the rules, but before he had grown strong enough, he could only obey.
After answering, Chen Lang walked toward the courtyard exit with Li Yan.
The two of them walked toward the central courtyard, one behind the other.
Along the way, Chen Lang learned that the person involved in this Marriage Alliance was the Mu Clan's direct descendant, Mu Tingying.
As for the candidate, it would be either him or one of his peers.
However, the clan head's intention was to have him become engaged to a direct descendant of the Mu Clan.
In truth, besides strengthening the relationship between the two clans, this arrangement was also meant to allow Chen Lang to receive help from a Mu Clan direct descendant.
That would make it easier to groom him into the next clan successor.
There was no helping it. Although he was the most outstanding member of the younger generation, Chen Lang's parents in this world had long since died... Compared with his other cousins, this was a disadvantage.
The clan head's exceptional treatment of him might not be entirely due to familial affection. It was also because Chen Lang had displayed extraordinary talent when he awakened his magic!
He had awakened with a natural Spirit Seed and possessed the talent of One Thought Star Track.
For an ordinary person to possess one of these would already be exceptionally impressive, but Chen Lang had both. That was precisely why he deserved such preferential treatment.
Of course, no one knew that Chen Lang's extraordinary advantages were not actually due to his own abilities. Instead, when he transmigrated, a wisp of black lightning had come with him into his body!
This wisp of black lightning had grown along with him.
When he underwent Magic Awakening, it had even given rise to a Lightning Element.
It was also during his awakening that Chen Lang learned that the wisp of black lightning was called Black Annihilation.
Besides possessing multiple levels of enhancement to the basic spirit, soul, and heaven attributes of this world, Black Annihilation also had extremely powerful lightning immunity, as well as five additional levels of explosive power.
The first level could unleash twice his own explosive power.
The second level could achieve fourfold explosive power.
The third level could achieve eightfold explosive power.
The fourth level could achieve sixteenfold explosive power.
As for the ultimate fifth level, it had no limit. The degree of destruction it could unleash depended entirely on him!
With such a cheat ability, Chen Lang could be said to be a born Magic King of lightning...
The Imperial Capital's Chen Clan, to which he belonged, had never been mentioned in the original world.
In truth, the Chen Clan was also an old-established clan. It was not less renowned than the Mu Clan; it was simply that the Chen Clan's foundation lay in the west.
In terms of overall strength, the Chen Clan was in no way inferior to the Mu Clan.
The two colossal clans did not necessarily have to become enemies. If two clans of equal standing fought each other, they would only allow others to benefit at their expense.
Cooperation for mutual benefit was undoubtedly the best choice.
Since ancient times, the best alliance had naturally been a Marriage Alliance...
Before long, Chen Lang was brought to the clan's reception hall.
The hall was spacious. There were not many people inside, but they were all core members of the clan.
Sitting at the foremost seat below the lowest level was one of the clan's direct-line elders, Chen Jun.
Several seats below the clan head were several other direct-line elders of the clan.
Chen Lang then looked toward the seats on the other side, where there were two men and two women. The older one among them should be the Mu Clan's representative this time.
The other man and two women were Mu Tingying and her parents.
Mu Tingying's appearance was fairly good. Women produced by Great Clans were naturally rarely ugly. Still, she could only be called good-looking; she was not stunning enough to impress Chen Lang.
Moreover, Chen Lang knew what kind of person Mu Tingying was. He genuinely did not want anything to do with her.
After Chen Lang arrived, Elder Chen Jun gave Li Yan a look. Li Yan then introduced Chen Lang to Mu Tingying before saying to Chen Lang, "Young Master Chen Lang, this is Miss Mu Tingying..."
After the introductions, they were naturally given time to spend together...
The two of them left the hall. Chen Lang could tell that the woman's eyes were filled with arrogance and disdain.
Chen Lang could not be bothered to care, much less make conversation. He planned to show her around casually, then return and report back.
However, after they had walked for a while, Mu Tingying, who had been ignored the entire time, took the initiative to speak. "Where are you planning to take me?"
She was becoming impatient. She felt that Chen Lang was somewhat ignorant of his own worth.
Although she had heard something about his circumstances, Mu Tingying considered herself inferior to no one among her peers.
Moreover, she was such a beauty, yet he did not know how to cherish her. In that case, she might as well not get engaged to him!
"Miss Mu is visiting for the first time, so I'm taking you around for a look." Chen Lang had not the slightest interest in this woman, but out of the "proper" etiquette he had been taught since childhood, he continued to humor her.
"You don't know why I came?" Mu Tingying asked with a frown.
By now, she was already somewhat impatient and even visibly displeased.
Chen Lang was also getting impatient. He gave her a look one might give an idiot, then nodded.
Mu Tingying instantly bristled at Chen Lang's attitude, and her voice rose considerably. "And this is the attitude you're going to have?"
Seeing the questioning tone on Mu Tingying's face, Chen Lang naturally would not indulge her. He said indifferently, "I saw that you weren't saying much, so I thought Miss Mu didn't like talking."
"You..."
Did she not like talking?
She simply liked being flattered!!
"Miss Mu, it's getting late. We can head back." Chen Lang checked the time. He had no intention of giving her another chance to speak, so he turned and gestured for her to follow.
Mu Tingying was furious, but in the end, she merely let out a cold snort and hurried toward the reception hall without caring about her dignity.
Before long, the two of them returned to the reception hall, one in front of the other.
Compared with their cold interaction, the hall was still quite lively.
Chen Lang could even tell that Mu Tingying's parents were carrying a hint of ingratiation. Clearly, they wanted this Marriage Alliance to succeed.
Whether it was the Mu Clan or the Chen Clan, internal competition naturally existed within both. Thus, compared with the foolish Mu Tingying, her parents understood what truly mattered.
When they returned, the harmonious conversation between both sides temporarily ended.
Mu Tingying's mother was especially satisfied as she looked at Chen Lang and asked, "Xiao Lang, what do you think of our Tingying?"
"Tingying is very nice..."
Although Chen Lang disliked Mu Tingying, this was not something he should say himself.
Sure enough, before he could finish speaking, Mu Tingying immediately said, "Mom, I'm not marrying him!!!"
Before you continue