Having spent days and nights with Jiang Tian, they had grown accustomed to his presence. They never imagined he would leave so soon.
“Grandmaster Jiang, are you leaving?” With a splash of water, Tyrant Dragon stood up, his entire body trembling.
“Yes, all good things must come to an end. Our fate together ends here,” Jiang Tian replied, looking at him with satisfaction. Over these days, Tyrant Dragon had made the most rapid progress.
“Grandmaster Jiang, can’t you stay?” Tyrant Dragon stood there with clenched fists, his head deeply bowed. Suddenly, he tightened his fists and began to sob silently.
“Yes, Grandmaster Jiang, please don’t go! We can’t bear to see you leave!” All the War Dragons stood up and shouted in unison, tears streaming down many of their faces.
“Grandmaster Jiang, please don’t go, we beg you! You can train us as harshly as you want!” Cheng Tiantian cried uncontrollably, tears flowing endlessly, impossible to wipe dry.
“Grandmaster Jiang, is it because our performance didn’t satisfy you? We’ll redouble our efforts!” Fox pleaded with a choked voice.
Men seldom shed tears, let alone these iron-willed, toughest soldier kings in the world. They hadn’t cried during brutal training, even when bones broke and tendons snapped. They hadn’t cried on the battlefield, braving hail of bullets. They hadn’t cried when comrades were injured or even died in battle. But now, they all wept, unable to hold back their tears.
Cultivation in martial arts is like sailing against the current; progress is extremely difficult. Many martial artists, even with the support of sects or families and vast cultivation resources, consider themselves fortunate if they break through one level in three to five years. Yet, they had all broken through in just one month. This kind of progress was something they hadn’t even dared to dream of.
Moreover, they understood the preciousness of the Body Forging Spiritual Liquid. One barrel was likely worth millions, and each of them had used over ten barrels in the past month. Therefore, even if Jiang Tian trained them in the cruelest ways, they felt grateful. Hearing that he was leaving now was unbearable for them.
“I was only ever your martial arts consultant, an external member,” Jiang Tian said with a faint smile. “My agreement with your leaders was only for one month, and it’s already been a few days over. I must go.”
…
That evening, the War Dragons held a farewell banquet for Jiang Tian and Tang Linglong.
The setting was simple and rugged. Dozens of tables were set up on the concrete training ground. Large basins were filled with various dishes, and army-green enamel mugs were filled with strong liquor.
The War Dragons gathered together, and even Tang Hongtu came on behalf of the General Staff Department to attend the farewell banquet.
At the banquet, many War Dragons drank heavily, and tears of reluctance flowed freely.
“Grandmaster Jiang, a teacher for a day is a father for life. No matter how you see us, in our hearts, you will always be our master!” Tyrant Dragon stood up and declared passionately. “From now on, if Grandmaster Jiang has any orders, as long as the War Dragons can help, we will go through fire and water without hesitation!”
“Yes, Grandmaster Jiang, with just one word from you, we’ll climb mountains of blades and wade through seas of fire!” Many War Dragons stood up, their faces filled with reverence and gratitude, tears glistening in their eyes.
This was the style of iron-blooded soldiers: they admired the strong and valued loyalty and camaraderie above all. They had come to see Jiang Tian as their most important mentor and friend.
They raised their mugs and roared in unison, their voices thundering like rolling waves, shaking the very heavens, as if even the stars in the sky trembled. “To Grandmaster Jiang!”
“Sigh, I was an instructor for the War Dragons for three years, but I couldn’t compare to Grandmaster Jiang teaching them for just one month,” Feng Xiguang sighed deeply, his expression complex—a mix of admiration, envy, but mostly relief.
The War Dragons today were vastly different from before, their strength greatly enhanced, even capable of rivaling the Dragon Group. More importantly, every soldier now possessed the heart of a true warrior, which would benefit them for a lifetime.
“Who could argue with that? It’s truly enviable,” Zhang Lang nodded in agreement.
“Hah, do you have the skills he does?” Shu Wei chuckled, her eyes teasing.
“Honestly, I never expected Grandmaster Jiang’s training to be so effective. From now on, Grandmaster Jiang can be called the new War God of the military!” Tang Hongtu gazed at Jiang Tian, who was surrounded by the War Dragons like the moon amidst stars, with deep awe and a long sigh.
…
Midway through the banquet, Zhang Lang pulled Jiang Tian aside to a quiet spot and whispered, “Grandmaster Jiang, I have an impertinent request!”
“Brother Zhang, given our ages, we should consider ourselves peers. There’s no need for such formality,” Jiang Tian replied with a faint smile.
He had a good impression of Zhang Lang. The man was honest, devoted to martial arts, and could be called a blade fanatic. Already at the Internal Force level, he had diligently trained hard and was now not only proficient in one blade technique but also an expert in many others, such as the Eight-Door Golden Lock Blade, Tai Chi Blade, and Plum Blossom Blade.
“No, no, no. The capable are the teachers. You’ve reached the Grandmaster realm. Even though I’m a few years older, in my heart, you are still my senior!” Zhang Lang, flattered by Jiang Tian’s courtesy, quickly bowed respectfully. “Grandmaster Jiang, you must have heard about the Martial Alliance Conference in a few days, right?”
“Yes, I’ve heard a bit,” Jiang Tian nodded.
“I humbly request that Grandmaster Jiang attend the Martial Alliance Conference as a Zhang Family Elder, to help our Zhang family regain its honor!” Zhang Lang bowed deeply, his face full of entreaty.
It turned out that during the previous Martial Alliance Conference, Zhang Lang’s eldest brother from the Zhang Family of the Five Tiger Village in Yunzhou was killed in the arena competition. The Zhang family had been utterly humiliated, and their status plummeted. For the past five years, the Zhang family had been biding their time, striving to regain their former glory.
But no Grandmaster had emerged from the entire Zhang family. So, Zhang Lang wanted to ask Jiang Tian to act as an external reinforcement to help them wash away their shame and seek vengeance.
“Oh, I see. I don’t need the title of Elder, but I can help you hold the fort…” Jiang Tian originally planned to attend the Martial Alliance Conference to seek out extraordinary individuals and inquire about the Empress Flower, not to compete for dominance.
But he had a good impression of Zhang Lang, and helping out once was merely a small effort, so he agreed.
“Grandmaster Jiang, I will never forget your great kindness!” Zhang Lang was overjoyed that Jiang Tian had agreed. Overwhelmed with emotion, he bowed deeply.
“Zhang Lang, is this the Grandmaster Jiang you wanted to invite?” Suddenly, a powerful, resonant voice rang out.
Jiang Tian turned to look.
He saw an elderly man walking slowly over, accompanied by several extraordinary-looking young men and women. They all wore traditional martial arts uniforms, with leg bindings and waist sashes. Moreover, they carried long blades with red tassels on their backs—a standard martial artist’s attire.
Seeing the old man approach, Zhang Lang’s face immediately showed deep wariness and respect. He bowed respectfully. “Second Grandfather, you’ve come!”
“Old leader, you’re here! Welcome!” Even Shu Wei and Feng Xiguang didn’t dare neglect him and stepped forward to greet the old man.
The old man was in his sixties, with a steady breath and firm steps—clearly a practiced martial artist.
His name was Zhang Wendao. He was the current head of the Zhang Family of the Five Tiger Village, the twelfth-generation successor of the Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade style, and a brother to Zhang Lang’s grandfather. He had attained the peak of Internal Force cultivation and held the family’s authority. Moreover, he had once served as the blade technique instructor for the War Dragons and was quite renowned in the Chinese martial arts world.
“Haha, what old leader? I’ve been retired for many years. I’m here on personal business!” Zhang Wendao nodded with an air of pride.
Close behind him were a young man and woman. The man was tall and imposing, with an aura like a dragon or tiger. The woman wore a martial arts uniform, had a delicate and pretty face, and sported a ponytail—neat and sharp.
They were Zhang Wendao’s son and daughter, Zhang Qitian and Zhang Mingli.
Seeing that they seemed to have private matters to discuss with Jiang Tian, Shu Wei and Feng Xiguang politely excused themselves.
Only then did Zhang Wendao glance at Jiang Tian, showing a hint of disappointment. He said lightly, “So this is the martial arts consultant the War Dragons hired. He doesn’t seem particularly remarkable. And he wants to be an Elder for our Zhang family?”
Jiang Tian’s concealment skills had reached perfection. Usually, he kept his edge hidden, with no trace of his true energy leaking out. Unlike typical martial artists whose energy surged visibly, he appeared completely ordinary in Zhang Wendao’s eyes.
Zhang Lang grew anxious upon hearing this and quickly said, “Second Grandfather, you must not underestimate Grandmaster Jiang! Grandmaster Jiang is a true Grandmaster!”
“I’ve never seen such a young Grandmaster before!”
“A Grandmaster? Second Brother, are you joking? So-called Grandmasters are like dragons; each one has a surging, deep, and vast aura,” the tall young man behind Zhang Wendao scoffed. “In my opinion, he’s at most at the peak of the Iron Body level!”
Zhang Qitian had deeply inherited Zhang Wendao’s teachings. His cultivation had already reached the peak of Internal Force, and he was destined to take over the family’s authority in the future. His strength was even greater than Zhang Lang’s.
For years, he had trained diligently, hoping to win top honors at the Martial Alliance Conference and bring glory to the family. But he never expected Zhang Lang to propose some so-called Grandmaster Jiang to take his place. Proud and arrogant by nature, he was already fuming. Now, seeing Jiang Tian’s unremarkable appearance, how could he not mock him?
“Third Brother, watch your words!” Zhang Lang nearly went mad with anxiety upon hearing this. Frowning deeply, he shouted, “A few days ago, Grandmaster Jiang swept an armored vehicle away with a flick of his sleeve and condensed an energy blade to slice through it! How could you possibly comprehend his strength?”
The Zhang family members didn’t believe a word of it. A martial arts Grandmaster under thirty was simply impossible!
“Never mind, Zhang Lang. Since your Zhang family hasn’t reached a consensus, let’s forget about this matter,” Jiang Tian said with a faint smile, turning to leave.
He had been indifferent from the start. Seeing their lack of respect and gratitude, he had no desire to help the Zhang family.
“Grandmaster Jiang, I’m truly sorry…” Seeing this, Zhang Lang’s face was filled with regret, knowing full well that the Zhang family had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But with family members being so disrespectful to Jiang Tian, how could he have the face to beg him further?
“You there, stop!” But Zhang Qitian wasn’t finished. He pointed at Jiang Tian arrogantly. “Don’t you know my father is a martial arts master, a peak Internal Force expert? When you see a senior, don’t you know to bow in respect?”
Zhang Wendao stood there with his hands behind his back, chest puffed out and head held high, looking utterly complacent. He seemed to think it was only natural for Jiang Tian to bow to him, simply waiting to receive Jiang Tian’s homage.
