CHAPTER 557: CHAPTER 557: BEING FOLLOWED

Du Tianxing read the handwritten letter from Gu Beifeng, feeling initially stunned, then chuckled and said to the person who delivered the letter:

"Go back and convey my regards to Gu Tianwang. Tell him I’ll be waiting for him at Wuji Mountain for a hunt."

Gu Beifeng originally intended to provoke a war between Du Tianxing and Yang Xiao, but he didn’t expect Du Tianxing to have already figured out the problem. Although he was eager to challenge Yang Xiao right away, he still restrained himself.

Zhou Jian first arrived in Nanchang via the bases at the border cities between Tuocang City and Luoying City, where he met Xia Luo and explained his intention.

Xia Luo had also heard about the events in Magic City from Gong Yu, especially about being saved by Zhou Jian. Now upon seeing Zhou Jian and hearing that he wanted to meet Yang Xiao, he promptly arranged for his subordinates to escort Zhou Jian to Han Capital in North City.

Yang Xiao was currently in Han Capital dealing with official duties along with Xiao Zhe and others. When the guard reported that a person named Zhou Jian had come from Magic City, he excitedly said:

"Good, invite him in quickly."

Thinking it over, he still got up and followed the guard to the front door to personally welcome Zhou Jian.

"Ah, Brother Zhou, it’s been a long time."

"Brother Yang, I have missed you and brother Gong Yu, haha!"

The two shook hands and embraced, then returned to the hall together.

Yang Xiao had always had a good impression of Zhou Jian, especially since he saved Gong Yu’s life. He always kept that favor in his heart and treated Zhou Jian like his own brother.

After the servants offered tea, the two exchanged some pleasantries, and Yang Xiao asked:

"Did Du Tianxing send you here?"

Zhou Jian smiled and said:

"Nothing can be hidden from Brother Yang, yes, it’s indeed Du Tianwang who sent me. Brother Yang, now commanding four provinces and impressing the Xuanming Country, truly admirable!"

"Hehe, why don’t you come and conquer the world with me? Now Gong Yu is guarding the Eastern Province. If you come, with your talent and ability, I’ll immediately give you a province to manage, how about that?"

Zhou Jian chuckled,

"Brother Yang jests, how can I compare with Gong Yu? I don’t have that capability."

"I’m not joking, I’m serious. We are really in need of people right now."

Zhou Jian gave an awkward smile and said:

"I am currently working under Du Tianwang and grateful for his trust. Although I admire Brother Yang greatly, betraying Du Tianwang is something I cannot do. Otherwise, how could I face Du Tianwang or follow Brother Yang?"

Knowing that Zhou Jian is a loyal and righteous person, Yang Xiao admired him inwardly and did not press further, asking:

"What did Du Tianxing send you here for?"

"Du Tianwang admires Brother Yang’s talent and ability, hoping to join hands with you in undertaking significant tasks. He wishes that both sides will not interfere with each other to avoid internal strife that greatly harms our energy and gives others a chance to exploit our weakness. How does Brother Yang feel about this idea?"

Zhou Jian spoke very tactfully, indeed as Du Tianxing had requested, maintaining the dignity of Du Tianwang.

Yang Xiao laughed and said:

"Du Tianwang possesses Magic City and Tuocang City, his strength is immense, and he has many experts under his command; how could I possibly contend with him?

Tell Du Tianwang when you return, if he doesn’t provoke me, I won’t provoke him as long as Du Tianxing doesn’t invade my territory, I guarantee I will not invade his."

"Alright, with Brother Yang’s words, my trip here is worthwhile. Additionally, Du Tianwang intends to establish a Transmission Array between Magic City and Nanmu City, limiting the transport to three people within 24 hours, making it convenient for both sides to communicate. In the future, for small matters, it will prevent exhausting journeys over mountains and rivers like mine this time."

Yang Xiao chuckled:

"I’ll consider the establishment of the Transmission Array, I’ll let you know once I have decided."

The last Transmission Array was unilaterally closed by Du Tianxing, Yang Xiao thought, it surely can’t be open when you want and close when you want, right? Let’s keep him hanging for now, besides, he and Du Tianxing don’t need to communicate frequently at the moment.

With Yang Xiao putting it this way, Zhou Jian couldn’t insist further.

Yang Xiao warmly entertained Zhou Jian that evening, they had a very enjoyable conversation. The next day, Zhou Jian left for the Eastern Province to meet Gong Yu, stayed in East City for two days, and then returned to Magic City.

Yang Xiao and others like Xia Luo, Xiao Zhe, Huang Wen, and Gong Yu were busy for about half a month. They finally managed the daily administrative work of the four provinces and established an inter-provincial synchronization mechanism. The leaders of the four provinces meet weekly to discuss encountered issues and collaboratively find solutions.

If facing external invasions, regardless of whether Yang Xiao is at home, Gong Yu will lead a strategic group formed by Xia Luo, Xiao Zhe, Huang Wen, Ben Yin, and Long Yongjun to implement the four-province joint combat support plan.

All work was on the right track, many experts above Enhanced Gene Level came to Shaolin Temple and Shenming Mountain Sect to train in Ancient Martial Arts.

Yang Xiao gave the Genetic Transformation Pills, he won in the competition, to Gong Yu, encouraging him to train well and make an early breakthrough to King Level. North City, Luoying City, and Kongming City decided to each sponsor Gong Yu with ten million Crystal Coins, with additional resources from Eastern Province, Gong Yu’s evolution to King Level was imminent.

Every day, Yang Xiao was cultivating the Bone Forging Technique from the Genetic Transformation Technique. The potions needed for bone forging were directly purchasable from Gu Bo’s Genetic Store. In half a month, Yang Xiao already broke every bone in his body once.

Throughout the cultivation process, Yang Xiao felt that the effectiveness of the evolutionary effect seemed to be enhanced, with the same Genetic Potion ingested, the sensation of electric currents was much stronger.

It felt completely different from Body Refinement; during Body Refinement, one would only feel changes in the skin and muscles, becoming like jade, much stronger and powerful.

While practicing the Yijin Scripture, he felt that the energy of Genetic Evolution could freely circulate throughout his body, bursting his Combat Power to greater strength.

This Bone Forging cultivation unexpectedly improved the efficiency of Genetic Potion’s evolutionary effect.

Of course, Yang Xiao knew that evolving to King Level was not a matter of a day or two with his current condition; he just needed to continue cultivating patiently day by day.

Yang Xiao recalled Lan Xin and Long Xiang; it had been about twenty days since Long Xiang revealed his Dragon Body in Eastern Province, and he decided to make a trip to Shenlongjia.

Since the Giant Eagle had been given to Gong Yu, Yang Xiao took another Giant Eagle from Huang Wen to use as his mount to Shenlongjia.

Yang Xiao took the Giant Eagle to the Transmission Array outpost of Shenlongjia, then rode the Giant Eagle deep into the mountains of Shenlongjia.

While Yang Xiao flew on the Giant Eagle above, simultaneously, a black-clothed figure in Shenlongjia’s forest, almost ghost-like, followed Yang Xiao’s trajectory running rapidly.

After flying for about two hours, Yang Xiao arrived at the summit next to the valley he had stayed at before; in the distance, the vast lake surface looked like a massive mirror, sparkling under the sunlight.

"Lan Xin and Long Xiang, I wonder where they are, let’s first fly low over the lake on the Giant Eagle."

The Giant Eagle cried out long and took Yang Xiao flying towards the lake in the valley.

Just as Yang Xiao had flown away, a dark ghost-like shadow emerged from a concealed forest on the mountain peak, watching the distant Giant Eagle.

"What purpose does Yang Xiao have coming to this place? What secret does he really hold?"