Mutual Calculations, Star Secret Silver

At the sound of this,

the corners of Dai Weisi's lips curled upward slightly.

He chuckled. "Of course. Although the Defense Clan was abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect six years ago and then suffered devastating losses under Spirit Hall's suppression, leaving them with less than half their former strength, they are still a considerable force to me."

"Their family's Plate Armor Giant Rhino martial soul possesses defensive capabilities second only to the Elephant Armor Sect of the Lower Four Sects. Moreover, no one on the continent surpasses them when it comes to constructing fortresses and strongholds... If they were to join my ranks in the future, it would be of immense benefit to both me and the empire."

"I had previously considered recruiting them, but the Defense Clan had just suffered a severe blow at the time. After settling down in Longxing City, they focused solely on recovering and refused to see any visitors."

"But now, with this opportunity to visit them openly as their savior, if I still fail to seize it, then I would not deserve that position."

As Dai Weisi finished speaking,

Zhu Zhuyun spoke as well. "Judging by their attitude earlier, the Defense Clan does not seem particularly opposed to the Star Luo Imperial Family."

"Perhaps the Defense Clan, which has not been faring well under Spirit Hall's suppression, is in desperate need of a powerful patron like the Star Luo Empire."

"That is what I thought as well." With that, Dai Weisi immediately turned to the Soul Emperor guard beside him. "Once we return, investigate what the Defense Clan needs most right now."

"If they lack money, arrange profitable projects for them near Longxing City. If they lack education, prepare enrollment slots at Star Luo Royal Academy for them... In short, prepare a generous gift that the Defense Clan cannot refuse."

"Yes!"

After the Soul Emperor responded,

Dai Weisi stared in the direction Niu Gao had left. He suddenly raised his hand and clenched it into a fist, looking as though he had the Defense Clan firmly in his grasp.

Meanwhile,

Niu Gao had already returned to Jin Feng's side.

As grandfather and grandson headed out of the Star Dou Forest, Jin Feng suddenly asked, "Grandfather, did you act so decisively earlier because they were members of the Star Luo Imperial Family?"

"That's right!"

Faced with Jin Feng's question,

Niu Gao did not conceal anything and answered directly, "At first, I intended to establish ties with the Star Luo Imperial Family so that I could purchase metal resources for you in the future."

"I just never expected him to be Dai Weisi, the First Prince of the Star Luo Empire. That truly exceeded my expectations."

"And I know exactly what Dai Weisi was thinking when he acted so courteously earlier. He simply wants to recruit the Defense Clan to serve him and increase his leverage in the struggle for the throne."

"Under normal circumstances, the Defense Clan would certainly not want to become involved with the imperial family, much less the conflict over the succession."

"But things are different now."

"Xiao Feng, you are the hope of our Defense Clan. Your growth will not only require immense resources, but also the support of a force capable of standing against Spirit Hall."

"Fortunately, the Star Luo Empire, which commands a million-strong army and possesses Gengxin City, the City of Metals, fulfills both requirements. Therefore, when Dai Weisi visits next time, I will have a proper talk with him... Each of us can take what we need."

Upon hearing this,

Jin Feng pressed his lips together, his heart filled with complicated emotions.

In the end, Grandfather, who had never wanted any ties with the Star Luo Imperial Family, had made this decision solely to buy him time to grow.

Therefore, he had to become stronger as soon as possible and repay the family for nurturing him.

At the thought of repaying the family,

an inspiration suddenly struck Jin Feng, and the Beast God Canon appeared in his mind.

In an instant, countless inherited memories surged into his mind, causing his eyes to shine brighter and brighter. It seemed that he did not need to wait until he became stronger before repaying the family.

He merely needed to weaken and modify the first level of the Beast God Canon several times over to create one of the finest cultivation techniques on the Douluo Continent... one that the Defense Clan could cultivate.

Boom!

As soon as this thought arose, Jin Feng wished he could immediately return to the clan and begin studying it.

However,

at that very moment,

the Golden Horned Behemoth martial soul within his body seemed to sense something. It suddenly became restless and continuously sent summoning requests to Jin Feng.

Realizing this,

with a thought from Jin Feng, golden light flashed through the empty air before him, and the Golden Horned Behemoth's massive body, over three meters tall, was abruptly summoned.

Afterward,

after carefully sensing the world around it, the Golden Horned Behemoth first let out two low growls at Jin Feng. Then it sprawled on the ground, pointing its right wing due north while its left wing touched the ground at an angle.

Seeing this,

Niu Gao, who had no idea what it meant, instinctively asked Jin Feng, "Xiao Feng, what does that mean?"

After understanding the Golden Horned Behemoth's growls,

a flash of delight immediately crossed Jin Feng's eyes.

He first stepped on the Golden Horned Behemoth's left wing and climbed onto its back, then said to Niu Gao, "Grandfather, get on quickly. Golden Horn says it senses the aura of a special metal to the north and wants to carry us there."

At this,

Niu Gao glanced at the Golden Horned Behemoth's body, which was over three meters in size, and instinctively said, "I'm quite heavy. How about you go ahead, and I'll follow behind?"

"Roar~"

The Golden Horned Behemoth let out another low growl upon hearing that.

After understanding its meaning, Jin Feng looked at his grandfather Niu Gao's burly frame and suppressed a laugh. "Grandfather, you should get on. Golden Horn says you're too slow!"

"Heh, this fellow actually looks down on a Soul Sage's speed!" Niu Gao laughed and scolded it before flipping onto the Golden Horned Behemoth's back. He muttered, "I'd like to see just how fast it can run while carrying the two of us!"

Whoosh!

The moment Niu Gao finished speaking,

the Golden Horned Behemoth abruptly rose to its feet. Like a bolt of golden lightning, it shot toward the north.

As for Niu Gao, seated on its back, he felt the cold wind whipping against his face and watched the scenery around him rapidly fly backward. He immediately fell silent.

As everyone knew,

the Defense Clan was famed for its defense and was not skilled in speed...

Soon,

under the Golden Horned Behemoth's swift, relentless sprint,

Jin Feng and Niu Gao successfully arrived before a three-meter-tall silver-black boulder that looked completely ordinary.

"Isn't this just an ordinary rock?" After observing it for a moment, Niu Gao looked at the Golden Horned Behemoth, which was brimming with excitement. "Where is the special metal?"

At his words,

Jin Feng walked up to the silver-black rock.

He placed his hand against it and activated the Golden Horned Behemoth bloodline power within his body to inspect the stone.

A moment later,

his eyes snapped open in delight.

Turning to Niu Gao, he said, "Grandfather, this is an Extraterrestrial Meteorite. Its outer layer is merely a disguise. Inside, it contains eighty-seven percent Star Secret Silver, which will be tremendously beneficial to Golden Horn's growth. Beyond that, the Star Power within it can also strengthen my spiritual power."

After hearing Jin Feng's explanation,

the confusion on Niu Gao's face remained.

As he circled the three-meter-tall Extraterrestrial Meteorite before him, he muttered, "Strange. If it fell from beyond the sky, why is it embedded so shallowly in the ground?"

"These marks do not look like they came from something that fell from the heavens. They look more like they came from something that fell from just a few meters up..."

Here,

before Niu Gao could finish speaking,

he seemed to spot something. His pupils contracted, and his voice abruptly cut off. He then waved Jin Feng over. "Xiao Feng, come here quickly. Something is going on here."