Refusal

March 27 was Chen Daolin's last day of the month hunting monsters.

At a little after five in the morning, Chen Daolin headed out in high spirits. He went for a run with Ji Xuan, ate breakfast, got ready, then left the Training Camp with more than ninety other trainees for City 1001, about 300 kilometers away, to hunt monsters.

The group walked toward the Training Camp's main gate in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. Suddenly, a sonic boom rang out. A blood-red triangular fighter jet appeared above the gate like a phantom, drawing the attention of every trainee nearby.

"A fighter jet?"

"Whose fighter jet is that? How come I've never seen it before?"

"That fighter jet looks so cool."

The confused trainees murmured among themselves.

Whoosh. Just then, a figure flew out from inside the Training Camp. When he reached the main gate, Inspector Wang came into view. He quickly flew up to the triangular blood-red fighter jet and bowed slightly.

The trainees below were stunned.

"Inspector Wang bowed! He actually saluted the person inside that triangular jet?"

"Inspector Wang is Beyond War God. Even the other Inspectors of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall are only his equals... The only person he'd bow to like that would be..." A white female trainee at the Training Camp seemed to realize something. Her eyes widened as she spoke in disbelief.

A deep, authoritative voice came from inside the blood-red triangular fighter jet. "Inspector Wang."

"Hall Master," Inspector Wang replied respectfully.

"Bring Chen Daolin over." The man's voice coming from the jet was somewhat gentle, yet still carried a powerful ring.

"Yes." Inspector Wang answered respectfully, then flew over to Chen Daolin and smiled at him. "Hello, Trainee Chen Daolin. It's been a long time." Inspector Wang was even friendlier toward him than before.

Chen Daolin felt a little nervous. After all, the man before him was Beyond War God, someone far stronger than he was. "Hello, Inspector Wang."

"The Hall Master wants to see you. Come with me," Inspector Wang said, getting straight to the point.

"The Hall Master wants to see me?" Chen Daolin was a little bewildered. Inspector Wang took him up into the air and brought him to the triangular blood-red fighter jet. The hatch slid open, and Inspector Wang said to Chen Daolin, "Go on in. The Hall Master is inside." Then he ushered Chen Daolin toward it.

Chen Daolin was a little nervous. He stood at the hatch, composed himself, and looked inside the jet. Two men were seated there. One was 1.9 meters tall, with a close-cropped haircut and a back as straight as a spear. Dressed in black from head to toe, he looked like a young man in his twenties. The other was a bald young man in white robes, wearing a warm smile that put people at ease.

The black-haired young man glanced at him, and an indescribably immense pressure surged toward Chen Daolin, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were splitting apart. Chen Daolin's mind reeled. He gritted his teeth and swayed slightly, but still managed not to retreat.

"Not bad. You've got decent willpower." The black-haired young man's lips curled slightly, as if a hint of a smile had crossed them.

The bald young man in white beside him suddenly spoke. "Chen Daolin, would you be willing to take me as your master? I'm Thunder God."

The black-haired young man looked at his companion with a hint of exasperation and shook his head slightly. Then he spoke to the astonished Chen Daolin. "Chen Daolin, you've probably guessed who I am. I'm Hong. As he said, the man beside me is Thunder God. We came here today because we wanted to meet you."

"Meet me?" Chen Daolin was extremely nervous and uneasy.

After all, the men across from him were the world's first and second strongest, not because they relied on a nation or a consortium, but because their own strength made them invincible.

How could Chen Daolin not feel nervous in front of people standing at the very peak of the world, who could decide whether he lived or died?

Hong scrutinized Chen Daolin, then suddenly said, "Chen Daolin, you have good talent, and you're one of ours at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Would you be willing to take me as your master?"

"And me," Thunder God added with a smile.

"I..." Although he had suspected why Hong and Thunder God had suddenly appeared here, when the two of them actually offered to take him as their disciple, Chen Daolin's mind went blank. He didn't know what to do.

It felt as if an ordinary person were walking down the street when a wealthy man suddenly ran up to him and said, "I'm your long-lost father. Come home and inherit my billions!"

That was probably what it felt like to have a windfall fall from the sky.

If an ordinary person were offered the chance to become Hong or Thunder God's disciple, they would have been overjoyed and agreed on the spot.

But Chen Daolin still hesitated.

Should he really accept?

Becoming Hong's disciple would naturally bring countless benefits. With the world's strongest man guiding him, his path of cultivation would be much smoother, and his chances of becoming Beyond War God would be far greater. With the Extreme Martial Arts Hall backing him, he could practically walk all over the world.

As for Thunder God? Chen Daolin wasn't considering him. He practiced spear techniques, and with Hong, the world's greatest spear fighter, right there, why would he go with Thunder God?

Even so, Chen Daolin was still very hesitant. His goal was to surpass Hong and Thunder God, the two strongest people in the world. Now, becoming one of their disciples made him feel as if he were betraying his own principles.

Hong and Thunder God noticed the struggle and hesitation on Chen Daolin's face, and a trace of surprise showed in their eyes. Most people would have accepted their offer of discipleship immediately. Someone like Chen Daolin, who still hesitated, was truly rare.

A few minutes later, Chen Daolin slowly let out a breath. He looked at Hong and Thunder God, his expression turning resolute.

"Sorry, Hall Master, Lord Thunder God. I don't want to take either of you as my master."

As soon as he said it, Chen Daolin felt as if he'd set down a thousand-pound weight. His whole body relaxed.

Hong asked calmly, "Why? You should know that with Thunder God and me guiding you, your cultivation will progress faster and more easily. Becoming Beyond War God wouldn't be just a dream."

Thunder God watched the slightly boyish young man in front of him with interest.

Chen Daolin replied calmly, "Because... I want to surpass you both."

The cabin fell silent at once.

Hong turned his head to look at him, the corner of his mouth seeming to twitch slightly.

Thunder God blinked.

"Brother Hong, did you hear that? This kid says he wants to surpass us?" Thunder God burst out laughing. "Kid, you're not very big, but you sure have a big mouth. Even those Beyond War Gods wouldn't dare say something like that to our faces. In all these years, you're the first."

He clicked his tongue in admiration. "Not bad. You may be a little reckless, but you've got guts."

Chen Daolin fought the urge to roll his eyes. You're the reckless one. Your whole family is reckless.

Hong looked at Chen Daolin and seemed to smile. "Good. Very good. In that case, I won't force you. Go back. I'd like to see how far you can go—and whether you'll live up to what you said today."

Chen Daolin bowed slightly, then turned around. The hatch slid open, and he jumped down from the fighter jet.

"Brother Hong," Thunder God said, looking at Hong with a smile. "That kid's interesting."

Hong didn't answer. He only watched Chen Daolin walk away, while the young man's boyish face and resolute eyes came to mind.