"Elder Feng has safeguarded many geniuses for my Lin family. Not a single one has suffered defeat under his protection."
"You can hand your safety over to him without worry. All you need to do is focus wholeheartedly on reaching the Big Four."
Lin Baitian's following words eased Su Zhan's flustered heart considerably.
An old hand like him shouldn't make such a rookie mistake as getting distracted.
As for having a bodyguard...
Being protected by someone wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Though the situation was dire and his circumstances worrying... the one protecting him was an Advanced Martial General!
That meant that as long as no Martial Commander appeared, he could basically sleep easy within Heaven City.
With that...
He no longer needed to act as timidly as before. He could be much bolder!
For instance, going to the trading market.
He no longer had to worry about someone setting their sights on him.
"Alright, then I'll have to trouble Elder Feng from now on." Su Zhan cupped his fists.
"It is my duty."
Elder Feng curiously sized Su Zhan up from head to toe.
He had seen plenty of people who became Advanced Quasi-Martial Artists in their second year of high school... Lin Jinyu, for instance, had even reached Beginner Martial Artist in her second year, though the news had not yet been made public.
But when he heard that Su Zhan had gone from Primary Grade to Advanced Grade in just ten days, despite possessing the Lowest Grade aptitude, he could not help but be astonished.
If this news was true, then this little fellow before him would be the most monstrous genius he had ever seen in his entire life... without a second.
"Come, look over both contracts carefully. If you have any questions, feel free to raise them."
Su Zhan quickly flipped through the contracts.
They were exactly as agreed.
All resources could be paid in advance.
Repayment would be based on the number of times rather than years.
He would even be free from compulsory control by the Lin family and retain a certain degree of freedom.
The wager agreement was even more lenient, without any overly forceful clauses... it did not feel like a contract signed with an investment target, but more like an invitation for a powerhouse to join them.
Their sincerity was truly abundant.
"Done!"
Su Zhan signed his name without hesitation.
"It's yours."
Once Su Zhan had formally signed, Lin Baitian decisively tossed the already-prepared Space Ring to him.
"This Space Ring has greater capacity. It's a gift for you, and it contains a full year's worth of Martial Artist resources that you've received in advance."
"360 Gold Coins, 12 bottles of Grade 3 Pills, three sets of High-grade Spirit Weapons, four drops of B-grade Fierce Beast Blood, and several Heavenly Treasures are all inside!"
Taking the Space Ring, Su Zhan merely glanced inside before his face blossomed into a grin.
With these good things, his four technique avatars were completely secure!
"Oh, right. You also said I could cultivate the Earth Grade Techniques collected by your Lin family, correct?" Su Zhan's eyes burned brightly.
This was also what tempted him the most.
Though he did not yet know how to upgrade the Chat Group slots, once they were upgraded, he would urgently need more techniques to fill them—the higher their grade, the better... any Earth Grade Technique cost tens of thousands of gold, so being able to learn one without spending money was naturally something Su Zhan longed for immensely.
"Of course! Whenever you want to learn, just come to the Lin family. If you don't know the address, send me a message and I'll have someone pick you up!"
Lin Baitian said readily, "Also, don't forget what you said about becoming a Martial Artist within a month and coming to visit the Lin family... I'll be waiting!"
Beside him, Lin Jinyu's beautiful eyes lingered on Su Zhan a moment longer.
She was also looking forward to the day he became a Martial Artist within a month... if it was true, it would not only prove that the Lin family had picked up a treasure this time, but also prove that Su Zhan possessed unparalleled, astonishing talent!
In her older brother Lin Baitian's words: Su Zhan would be even more monstrous than those freaks in the Big Four!
"Rest assured."
Su Zhan said boldly.
Once the contract was signed, Lin Baitian and Lin Jinyu left.
Elder Feng followed them out as well.
According to Lin Baitian, Elder Feng would not guard Su Zhan at close range. That would make Meng Qianqiu sufficiently wary and cause him to send even stronger assassins... Elder Feng would conceal himself and keep a certain distance from Su Zhan in the shadows. Unless absolutely necessary, he would not act lightly.
Su Zhan: "Can you sense Elder Feng's presence?"
Basic Qi and Blood Method: "Yes. He's fifty meters away. His presence is faint, but it's definitely him!"
Nine Fire Saber: "His aura is distinctive, and his realm is higher than ordinary people's. He stands out too much—it's impossible not to notice him."
Jade Body: "At this distance, can he really protect someone's safety?"
Bloodthirsty Rampage: "It's more than enough. To an Advanced Martial General, a distance of fifty meters is no different from reaching out to take something right in front of you."
These words filled Su Zhan with delight.
A distance of around fifty meters.
That meant he had every chance to hide the existence of his technique avatars!
Not only was his safety guaranteed, but his personal privacy could also be preserved... now everything was settled.
"First, let's go to the trading market and exchange everything for the cheapest stuff!"
Su Zhan was already impatient.
Though being protected by an Advanced Martial General felt quite good, it also meant his life was in someone else's hands... Su Zhan had always believed that his fate was his own, not dictated by others. No one was reliable; he had to rely on himself!
"Instead of cultivating directly, he's going to the free market first?"
Fifty meters away, Elder Feng's figure became nearly transparent, his aura completely restrained to the utmost limit. Moving several meters with every step, he rapidly caught up with the taxi Su Zhan had taken.
Even an Advanced Martial General of the same rank would never sense the aura within him unless they came within one meter!
That was the power of a special technique.
It abandoned strength, defense, and speed... in exchange for nearly undetectable tracking, concealment, and reconnaissance!
Not only that.
Another powerful aspect of the Martial General level was Spiritual Sense.
It was the purest form of Mental Power, capable of spreading out to scan and perceive everything around it... Elder Feng's Spiritual Sense could extend beyond fifty meters, which was why he chose to maintain this distance.
As long as anyone suspicious appeared within fifty meters, he could swiftly detect them and react!
"He isn't absorbing spiritual energy to cultivate at all, nor are there any traces of him using Qi and blood."
Elder Feng observed Su Zhan at every moment.
The reason he had been willing to accept this task also involved a selfish motive:
He desperately wanted to know how Su Zhan had become an Advanced Quasi-Martial Artist so quickly with Lowest Grade aptitude!
His grandson, grandnephews, and many members of his Lineage all possessed Lowest Grade aptitude... if he could learn this secret, he could apply it to his own relatives. He might not be able to cultivate monsters like Su Zhan, but raising a few elite Martial Artists and Martial Masters should not be a problem, right?
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Elder Feng's expression shifted slightly. He was clearly startled.
"His Qi and blood just surged!"
"This is absolutely not normal circulation of Qi and blood. It is clearly the violent surge and disorder of Qi and blood that only occurs when a technique breaks through!"
"He... had a technique break through?!"
What kind of joke was this?!
He had merely taken a taxi... and he had actually broken through just like that?!
Before you continue