Jiangnan City, Jiangnan Airport.
At that moment, the airport seemed to have been surrounded by Number 98's ability users. There wasn't a single ordinary person in sight. Even Chen Tianxin, the head of Jiangnan's Number 98, had arrived!
Around Chen Tianxin stood Elder Wang, Meng Yao, Gui Xing, and Shan Shou!
All of Jiangnan's experts at the Grandmaster level and above had gathered!
Such a grand display inevitably made people wonder.
Had some important figure come to Jiangnan?
But what kind of important figure would require every Grandmaster from Jiangnan's Number 98 to come out and welcome him?
Wasn't that a little too much of a show of importance?
"By the way, it's already been two days, hasn't it? Yang Chen still hasn't come back?"
Standing at the airport, Chen Tianxin looked at Elder Wang beside him and asked.
Elder Wang smiled kindly. "It's only been two days. He's already on his way. If nothing unexpected happens, he should arrive today. I told Little Li to bring him straight here."
Chen Tianxin nodded, then looked toward the sky as if he had thought of something. The corner of his mouth twitched. "I wonder what he'll think when he sees Yang Chen!"
"What else could he think? You sold him out. It's not like he can beat you to death for it... Hmm, actually, I suppose he really could beat you to death!"
Meng Yao looked at Chen Tianxin and smiled seductively.
"You, always hoping I'll die sooner so you can inherit my position?" Chen Tianxin chuckled, not taking her words to heart.
"They're both geniuses of this era. They should have plenty to talk about, right?"
Chen Tianxin rested his chin on his hand and said uncertainly.
"Why speculate? We'll know when he gets here!"
Gui Xing let out a strange laugh.
Chen Tianxin nodded, then turned to Shan Shou, who had been silent all along, and smiled. "What's wrong, Shan Shou? Your master is coming, and you're not happy? Maybe you'll get a little junior brother!"
Shan Shou's usually cold face managed to form a rare smile. Hugging the Blade Case against his chest, he said stiffly, "If he really becomes my junior brother, I won't be all alone anymore."
Chen Tianxin glanced at Shan Shou but said nothing. He only sighed softly, then continued gazing up at the sky.
Just then, the roar of an airplane came from above. A tiny speck appeared on the horizon.
If everyone present hadn't been a Grandmaster, they would have struggled to make it out.
"He's here," Chen Tianxin said softly.
Even Elder Wang raised his head. His stooped body straightened considerably as he watched the white speck grow larger, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy eyes.
Meng Yao also put away her seductive smile and became unusually serious.
Gui Xing and Shan Shou did the same. Shan Shou's face flushed, his whole body trembling slightly with excitement.
A violent gust of wind swept across the area as the enormous passenger plane slowly came to a stop beside them. After a while, its doors gradually opened.
A remarkably young man stepped out of the plane!
The young man looked a little green around the edges. On his back was an ancient-looking Blade Case, from which an aged aura emanated.
As soon as he stepped out of the plane, a powerful presence emerged around him. It wasn't deliberate; his strength was simply so overwhelming that even when he carefully kept it in check, the faintest traces of his aura still seeped out.
And even those faint traces created an imposing presence!
The strength of this young man spoke for itself!
"Welcome, Minister Liu!"
Chen Tianxin was the first to greet him. He seemed as gentle as a spring breeze, and with a slight movement, he dispersed the young man's imposing presence.
The young man didn't seem to mind at all. He smiled faintly.
"Grandmaster Chen!"
Elder Wang and the others hurried forward behind Chen Tianxin.
The young man glanced over Elder Wang and the others, pausing briefly on Shan Shou before looking away.
Shan Shou seemed to sense that the young man had paused to look at him. He grew excited, straightening his back and puffing out his chest as he looked at him.
The young man only smiled faintly in response, then shifted his gaze to Chen Tianxin and asked, "Where is he? I'd like to meet him."
Chen Tianxin smiled courteously and waved a hand. He glanced at his watch, then said, "He should be here soon. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll arrive any moment."
The young man nodded. Guided by Chen Tianxin and accompanied by the many Grandmasters, he headed toward the airport's VIP Hall.
Meanwhile, outside Jiangnan City, a black car sped through the sky toward Jiangnan Airport.
Yang Chen, seated inside the car, furrowed his brows slightly and said in a low voice, "This doesn't seem to be the way to Number 98!"
As he spoke, Yang Chen grew more vigilant. His sense of direction wasn't great, but the tallest building in Jiangnan City was Jiangnan Headquarters, the base of Number 98. It was obvious that they weren't heading that way.
The middle-aged man driving smiled faintly. "Elder Wang said that if I picked you up, I should take you straight to Jiangnan Airport."
"The airport?" Yang Chen murmured to himself, but his guard didn't drop. The circumstances he had grown up in meant he never trusted anyone easily!
Sure enough, as the car sped along, Jiangnan Airport came into view. From where Yang Chen sat, he could see ability users all around the airport.
There wasn't a single ordinary person.
This only made Yang Chen more confused.
An airport was supposed to be a place with heavy passenger traffic. What kind of resources would it take to keep ordinary people out?
At the same time, though, Yang Chen's guard eased slightly.
His strength might be formidable, but he wasn't important enough to warrant such a massive show of force. There had to be something else going on that he didn't know about.
The car slowly came to a stop. Guided by the black-clad middle-aged man, Yang Chen headed toward the airport's VIP Hall.
Inside the VIP Hall, Chen Tianxin and the others had already taken their seats. Hearing footsteps outside the door, Chen Tianxin smiled faintly and said to the young man, "He's here!"
Everyone turned their eyes toward the entrance.
Creak—
The door swung open, and Yang Chen's figure appeared in the Grandmasters' line of sight.
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