Chapter 212 An Old Friend Returns! A Dragon's Rebellious Scale Appears?!

Compared to their first meeting at the Su Family villa in Qingmu District a few days ago,

Su Yuntian's face now lacked the composure and majesty of a Patriarch on his own turf, replaced by an irrepressible sense of anxiety and urgency, as well as a cautious reverence when facing a higher-level existence.

He walked in quickly.

The hem of his brocade robe even stirred up a slight breeze.

Once upon a time,

at the Su Family compound in Qingmu District,

when he first met this Falling Star Rank expert,

the other party's inadvertently revealed vast aura and the pressure of someone long in a high position had caused Jiang Yun's mind to shake violently, making him deeply realize the chasm brought about by different Realms.

The Falling Star Rank.

It was already a Legendary status in C City,

and even in the provincial capital, such a person was a regional powerhouse.

However,

in just a single day, the world had changed.

Today's Jiang Yun

was no longer that Common youth who needed to look up to Falling Star Rank experts.

He had experienced being the center of attention at the Wanjian Heavenly Altar.

He had witnessed five Moon-Erosion Grade experts competing with their Laws, felt the unfathomable and suspected radiant Sun-Level vast majesty of President Yun Xi, and just moments ago, had spoken as an equal with these big shots standing at the peak of S Province, negotiating cooperation and resources worth hundreds of billions amidst casual conversation.

His vision, state of mind, and status

had already undergone earth-shattering changes unknowingly.

Seeing Su Yuntian again now,

there was no longer even a hint of the initial shock or restraint in Jiang Yun's heart, only a flat scrutiny, as if looking at... a Common visitor.

After seeing a true high mountain, the hills before him could no longer stir any ripples.

Regarding Su Yuntian's appearance,

Jiang Yun only felt a slight surprise, followed by understanding.

The Su Family could barely be considered a second-rate Family in the provincial capital now. Even smaller factions were scrambling to send gifts and curry favor, so the Su Family naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Before Jiang Yun could speak,

Su Yuntian beat him to it, his face piling on an extremely eager and even slightly fawning smile as he gave Jiang Yun a deep bow.

“Junior Su Yuntian pays respects to Senior Dong Xuan! Congratulations to Senior on ascending to the position of Grand Preceptor and holding the title of Grand Elder. This is a grand event unseen in S Province's appraisal world for a hundred years! Senior's heavenly talent truly fills this Junior with immense admiration!”

Su Yuntian called him 'Senior' over and over again.

He said it with such natural ease,

as if Jiang Yun truly were some old monster who had Cultivated for hundreds of years.

The corner of Jiang Yun's mouth under the mask couldn't help but twitch slightly.

When those from second-rate families and chambers of commerce called him Senior earlier, he accepted it calmly because, in his current role, Dong Xuan was indeed an existence on equal footing with Yun Xi, Qian Guangquan, and the others.

It was only natural to accept their respect.

His mindset had already adjusted.

But Su Yuntian was different!

Just yesterday,

at the Su Family residence, he still needed to respectfully address the other man as Senior!

Although his talent had been recognized,

it didn't allow him to look down on the man.

The sense of disparity in status and strength was very real.

Now it had suddenly reversed.

Hearing the other party call him 'Senior' repeatedly,

the sense of absurdity and a hint of secret pleasure brought by this extreme role reversal made Jiang Yun feel strange, an indescribable awkwardness and... amusement?

He even mischievously imagined

what kind of wonderful expression would be on Su Yuntian's face if he lifted his mask now and revealed Jiang Yun's true appearance?

Shock?

Stupefaction?

Incredulity?

Or... would he just be scared silly?

Of course,

this thought only flashed by for a second.

Jiang Yun knew very well

that the two identities of Dong Xuan and Jiang Yun had to be kept completely separate.

Dong Xuan was the high-and-mighty, mysterious Grand Elder, a treasure trove of resources that all sides scrambled to win over.

Jiang Yun was the one about to enter Sky Dome Academy, needing to grow low-key without being disturbed by these noble families.

The dual identity would allow him to navigate with ease, obtaining top-tier resources and connections while maintaining a relatively free and private space to grow.

Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart,

Jiang Yun maintained the calm demeanor befitting Dong Xuan. He slightly raised his hand, and his voice came through the mask with a perfect touch of detachment and warmth.

“Patriarch Su, there is no need for such formality. Please, take a seat.”

“Thank you, Senior!”

Su Yuntian quickly expressed his thanks.

He sat down somewhat stiffly on the edge of the chair below Jiang Yun, keeping his posture extremely humble.

“Patriarch Su, you overpraise me. A few empty titles are not worth mentioning.”

Jiang Yun offered a polite remark as per custom.

But Su Yuntian seemed to have opened a floodgate of words,

his face beaming with a sort of vicarious excitement.

He continued:

“Senior is too modest! To have such achievements at such a young age, your future prospects are simply limitless! Speaking of which, a young Genius has also just emerged in this Junior's Family. He is about the same age as you, Senior—also sixteen years old! Although he is not as brilliant as you, he is considered outstanding among the younger generation! I expect that in some time, he will be able to make a name for himself in the provincial capital! Hahaha!”

As he said this,

his eyes shone with an irrepressible pride and expectation for the Family's future.

Clearly,

the Genius he spoke of was none other than Jiang Yun.

Pfft... Jiang Yun almost choked on his own saliva.

The face under his mask instantly became extremely colorful,

turning red and white in turns.

He hadn't expected Su Yuntian to have such a familiar side to him.

Praising him to his face... and saying he was about the same age as the Senior, also considered outstanding... this feeling was simply too bizarre!

He forced himself not to lose his composure,

only giving a light cough to hide his embarrassment.

Then,

he adjusted his mindset and, using the tone of a Senior appreciating a Junior, followed Su Yuntian's lead and began to praise his other self.

“Oh? To be of the same clan as Patriarch Su and receive such praise from the Patriarch, he must indeed be a promising talent. If he can stand out among the younger generation in the provincial capital at sixteen, his Heart-Nature and talent must be extraordinary. In time, he may not fail to achieve something great.”

Jiang Yun said these words

without blushing or his heart skipping a beat, even carrying a few hints of sincere expectation.

Since he was praising himself anyway,

there was no need to be stingy.

Hearing this, Su Yuntian was stunned, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Great Master Dong Xuan actually thought so highly of Jiang Yun?

Could it be... that the stir Jiang Yun caused in the Su Family of Qingmu District

had already reached the Starfall District so quickly?

Had it even reached the ears of this newly appointed Grand Preceptor?

Though he was puzzled,

he was mostly overjoyed.

To be favored by Great Master Dong Xuan

was a huge blessing!

It meant Jiang Yun's value might be even higher than he imagined!

He quickly responded with humility.

“Senior overpraises him. Although that boy has some talent, he still needs more tempering; how could he possibly be compared to Senior. I only hope he doesn't fail Senior's auspicious words and can contribute a meager effort to our Human Race and the Su Family in the future.”

After the pleasantries were over,

the smile on Su Yuntian's face faded slightly,

revealing the true purpose of his visit.

He cautiously took out a small object wrapped in layers of soft silk from his robes, holding it in both hands as he respectfully placed it on the table before Jiang Yun.

“Senior, this Junior has come this time not only to congratulate you but also to ask for a favor.”

Su Yuntian's tone was sincere.

“This item is an heirloom passed down by my Su Family ancestors. The only Mid-grade Appraiser in our clan has observed it repeatedly, but could only see that its material is special, containing an indescribable ancient pressure and spirituality, definitely not an ordinary object. However, its specific origin, name, and effects are completely unknown and impossible to determine.”

As he spoke,

he carefully unwrapped the silk.

Appearing before Jiang Yun's eyes

was an irregularly shaped jade piece about the size of a palm.

Its color was not pure white or emerald green,

but a very restrained and deep dark green, faintly shimmering with a ghostly light, as if it had settled over ten thousand years.

The surface of the jade piece was smooth as a mirror, even capable of blurringly reflecting a person's image, but upon closer inspection, it was covered with countless natural, strange patterns so fine they were almost indistinguishable to the naked eye. Those patterns were not carved, but seemed more like the natural imprint left by some powerful life form.

Most peculiar of all,

the edges of the jade piece were not clean-cut surfaces, but presented an extremely natural, slightly curved form, as if it had naturally fallen off some creature's body.

The entire jade piece gave off a strange feeling of being warm yet icy, heavy yet hiding a trace of violent and noble aura.

A faint, almost imperceptible, yet essentially high-level pressure subtly emanated from the jade piece, making the surrounding air seem to stagnate slightly.

At first glance, Jiang Yun's heart skipped a beat.

The feeling this jade piece gave him... was very strange.

That mirror-smooth surface, that strange curvature and patterns, especially that faint, ancient pressure that made even his Soul feel a slight throb—all of it felt incredibly familiar, as if he had felt a similar aura somewhere before, but he couldn't recall it for the moment.

However,

he could be certain that this item was absolutely extraordinary!

Seeing Jiang Yun's focused gaze,

Su Yuntian was delighted and quickly said:

“In my Su Family's hands, this item is like a pearl covered in dust, its value difficult to realize. This Junior has thought it over and concluded that only a Great Master with divine insight like yourself, Senior, might truly recognize its true face. This Junior does not dare to ask for anything else, only wishing to present this item to Senior as a token of my Su Family's respect and desire to build a relationship. If it can find favor with Senior, and you could look after my Su Family a little in the future, my Su Family would be eternally grateful!”

His posture was extremely low, directly offering to give this clearly extraordinary treasure to Jiang Yun for free, asking only for a promise of protection.

For the Su Family, which had fallen to second-rate status and was in a difficult situation, being able to cling to the great tree that was Grand Elder Dong Xuan was worth any price.

At the very least, they would gain a powerful backer.

Jiang Yun did not immediately respond to Su Yuntian's words; his entire mind was concentrated on this dark green jade piece.

He secretly activated his Manifestation of All Things Entries ability.

In his eyes, an extremely faint flash of ice-blue data stream light, unnoticeable to ordinary people, passed in an instant.

The next moment,

lines of crystal-clear, extremely detailed golden light text information flowed into his vision like a prepared answer, closely linked to that jade piece.

When he saw the entry information clearly,

Jiang Yun couldn't help but have his expression freeze!

This thing was actually... a flood dragon reverse scale?!