"Minister Zhang, what instructions do you have for me, sir?"
Lu Hao said with a smile. He had once been terrified of Old Zhang—after all, the man was devious and immensely powerful. But now, he had risen as well. They were both Emperor-level powerhouses, not too far apart in strength, so he was no longer afraid.
Zhang Tao, on the other end of the line, naturally sensed the change in Lu Hao. Lü Zhen had told him that Lu Hao might possess Paragon-level strength, which was within his expectations. During the youth tournament, he had already noticed that something was off about Lu Hao's Mental Power. Perhaps he had been close to the Paragon level even then. After more training and over a month in the Abyss, a breakthrough was perfectly normal. Still, Zhang Tao had underestimated him. Lu Hao was no ordinary Paragon now—he could reach the Fifth Break Paragon level.
What Zhang Tao did not know was that a cat had long since seen through his strength, and Lu Hao was now evenly matched with him.
"Where have you been enjoying yourself? You left this mess for me to clean up—" Zhang Tao said reproachfully.
"Hehe, Minister Zhang, I happened to discover the Evil Cult's location, so I wiped them out while I was at it. The great tide is about to arrive, and before dealing with external threats, we must first stabilize our internal affairs. So I took care of the internal problems first. That means fewer headaches for you, too."
Lu Hao said with a smile.
"Forget it. This is a good thing, too. With fewer Evil Cult members, we can devote all our remaining strength to the Abyss. What strength are you at now—and what do you plan to do next?"
"Me? I'm still at