175: Chapter 175 The War King Who Climbed Out

After the affairs at the Qian Family Manor concluded, the entire estate fell completely silent.

The hundred-year banquet hall, once brilliantly lit, was now battered and ruined.

The elites from South District 7 who had come to attend the centennial banquet all looked as awful as if they had just crawled out of their coffins.

What a joke.

They were here to attend a banquet, not to be sacrificed to an evil god...

If Su Wan hadn't placed soul marks in advance to sever the connection between the Pool of Ten Thousand Wishes and them, and if Lu Cheng hadn't forcibly severed the connection to the Golden Toad's main body underground, everyone present today would have at least lost half their lives.

At best, their Source Power veins would be damaged, and their cultivation would regress.

At worst, their lifespan would be cut short, and their bloodlines would wither.

They might even have turned into those half-human, half-ghost things on the spot.

Qian Fuyun stood in the center of the banquet hall.

He had just been rescued from underground; his clothes were torn, his complexion was terrible, and he looked as if he had been completely hollowed out. Yet, as he stood there, the dignity of the Qian Family head remained undiminished.

He first bowed deeply to everyone present.

With this bow, the murmurs in the banquet hall slowly died down.

"Everyone."

Qian Fuyun's voice was hoarse, but every word carried weight.

"The events that occurred at the Qian Family today were due to my family's lack of discipline and my own failure as the head of the family to oversee things properly."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the frightened guests.

"The lineage of Qian Congrong colluded with the Origin Organization, privately opening the Pool of Ten Thousand Wishes, and attempted to use your wishes, lifespans, and Source Power as sacrifices to awaken the Swallowing Wish Golden Toad."

"The Qian Family will not shirk responsibility for this matter."

"The Qian Family will cover all medical expenses for all guests affected today. If there is damage to Source Power veins, the Qian Family will provide restorative potions; if there is a loss of lifespan, the Qian Family will compensate with life-extending resources of equal value."

"Furthermore, the Qian Family will set aside thirty percent of our industrial profits to establish a special compensation fund, which will be jointly supervised by the South District 7 Supervisory Bureau, the Navigator Academy, and all of you."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of many in the banquet hall eased slightly.

Thirty percent of industrial profits.

This was no small sum.

For a financial family of the Qian Family's stature, even thirty percent of the profits was enough to make many small and medium-sized families green with envy.

Moreover, Qian Fuyun did not mince words; he directly involved the Supervisory Bureau and the Navigator Academy in the supervision.

This meant he was not just paying lip service.

Of course, those present were not fools.

Why did Qian Fuyun dare to say this?

Because he still had the backing.

Having a daughter at the Navigator Academy who could bring a War King Realm instructor to intervene personally was enough to prove everything.

Qian Shuying was no ordinary student.

Lu Cheng was even less of an ordinary student.

Tonight's livestream had torn away the Qian Family's fig leaf, while simultaneously pushing Lu Cheng and the Navigator Academy to the forefront.

At this point, anyone who still wanted to take the opportunity to completely swallow up the Qian Family would have to think twice...

After Qian Fuyun finished speaking and was about to arrange the subsequent liquidation, the entire estate suddenly shook.

Boom—!

An aura, powerful to the extreme, surged out from the depths of the underground.

Everyone in the banquet hall's expression changed abruptly.

"War King Realm!"

Someone exclaimed.

The atmosphere, which had just eased, instantly tightened again.

The next second.

The ground of the courtyard outside the banquet hall exploded.

Gravel and soil shot into the air, and a disheveled old man crawled out from underground.

He really did crawl out.

The original color of his robe was unrecognizable; his hair was a mess, and his beard was stained with dirt and blood.

He looked as if he had been fighting wild dogs for food underground for three days; he was unbelievably disheveled.

Yet, the moment he raised his head, it felt as if everyone's heart had been gripped by someone.

An aura of slaughter.

Cold, sharp, and overbearing.

That aura was very similar to the Geng Metal Tiger Pattern on Qian Shuying, only much older and heavier.

As soon as the old man steadied himself, his voice boomed.

"Where is that little bastard Qian Congrong?!!!"

This roar caused the remaining glass in the banquet hall to shatter simultaneously.

Many guests with lower cultivation felt their ears ringing.

When Qian Fuyun saw the old man, the expression on his face finally changed.

Before he could speak, a middle-aged man nearby, who had also just been rescued, rushed over.

"Dad!"

Qian Fufeng grabbed the old man, his voice strained with urgency.

"Dad, please don't be angry. You just came out from inside; it's not good to damage your health!"

Qian Shiweng shook off his hand.

"Don't touch me!"

He glared, his beard trembling.

"Why didn't I see you being so filial when I was locked underground?!"

Qian Fufeng: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know where to start.

Qian Shiweng then looked around.

He saw the ruined Qian Family Manor, the Qian Family branch members being held aside, the mess everywhere, and also Qian Fuyun and Qian Shuying standing not far away.

The fury on the old man's face subsided bit by bit.

He was silent for a few seconds, then let out a long sigh.

"So..."

"What is the situation now?"

That was a good question.

The current situation really couldn't be explained in a few words.

"This and that happened."

From Qian Congrong colluding with the branch, to the Origin Organization infiltrating the Qian Family, to the Pool of Ten Thousand Wishes, the Swallowing Wish Golden Toad, the White Tiger Wealth Sealing Seal, Qian Shuying having her blood drawn, and finally to Lu Cheng starting a livestream to flip the table, the Navigator Academy intervening, and the Golden Toad's resurrection failing...

After hearing the whole sequence of events, Qian Shiweng was so angry he kept stroking his beard to calm down.

"Bastard!"

"That bastard Qian Congrong!"

"I said years ago that his eyes were clouded and his heart wasn't upright, yet you all kept saying he was steady!"

Qian Fuyun lowered his head and said nothing.

Qian Fufeng spoke softly from the side.

"Dad, how exactly did you get locked in?"

It would have been better not to ask.

When asked, Qian Shiweng became even more furious.

He glared at Qian Fufeng.

"How else would I get locked in?"

"That little bastard Qian Congrong said he wanted to offer me a toast, saying that before the centennial celebration, he wanted to invite this old thing out to oversee things."

"And then?"

Qian Shiweng became angrier as he spoke.

"He and those bastards from the Origin Organization drugged me!"

"I don't know what kind of cursed drug it was, but it actually managed to affect someone in the War King Realm!"

When he reached this point, his expression was terrifyingly gloomy.

"By the time I realized what was happening, half of my Source Power veins had already been locked."

"When I woke up, I was already locked next to that broken well underground."

"If it weren't for the seal loosening and me taking the opportunity of the Golden Toad's backlash to break through half the chains, I would still be pinned down there."

Qian Fufeng's mouth twitched as he listened.

"So you just crawled out yourself?"

Qian Shiweng sneered.

"Otherwise?"

"Wait for you, my filial son, to dig me out?"

Qian Fufeng wisely shut his mouth.

Qian Shuying, who was nearby, also walked over.

Her injuries had been simply treated, and while her complexion was still pale, her eyes had regained their usual calmness.

"Grandfather."

Seeing her, the anger on Qian Shiweng's face subsided slightly.

He reached out and pressed Qian Shuying's shoulder, his eyes complex.

"It's good that you're fine."

Qian Shuying nodded.

"It was Lu Cheng who saved me..."

Hearing this name, Qian Shiweng's eyes suddenly lit up.

He turned to look at Lu Cheng, who was not far away.

Lu Cheng was talking to Shen Guhong.

His Holy Dragon Armament had dissipated, and there was a hint of exhaustion on his face.

Qian Shiweng looked at Lu Cheng, and a mischievous smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"This must be Lu Cheng, right?"

Hearing someone call him, Lu Cheng turned his head.

Before he could react, Qian Shiweng had already hurried over and grabbed his hand.

"Good lad!"

Qian Shiweng looked him up and down.

"Young, capable of fighting a War General, and daring enough to start a livestream at the Qian Family's banquet to flip the table—you have guts, skill, and brains!"

Lu Cheng felt a bit uncomfortable being praised.

"Senior, you flatter me."

"Not at all, not flattering at all."

Qian Shiweng smiled even more kindly.

His kindness carried a hint of impropriety.

"I heard that you and my little Ying have a good relationship?"

Lu Cheng: "..."

Qian Shuying's gaze instantly turned cold.

"Grandfather!"

Qian Shiweng acted as if he hadn't heard her and continued holding Lu Cheng's hand.

"Young people, it's normal to be close."

"My granddaughter has been stubborn since she was young, her temper isn't great, and she doesn't know how to say sweet things, but she's a good person."

"You should be more understanding of her in the future."

Lu Cheng felt like something was off.

Su Wan stood nearby, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Zhou Jinan, holding a wine glass he had retrieved from somewhere, had bright eyes. There was drama to watch.

Qian Shuying took a deep breath.

"Grandfather!!"

Qian Shiweng continued.

"Of course, you are still young, focus on your important matters; feelings can be cultivated slowly."

"But tonight, you rushed into the Qian Family for her, saving her, livestreaming, fighting the Golden Toad..."

"Grandfather sees this sincerity."

Lu Cheng: "?"

Qian Shuying: "..."

She finally couldn't take it anymore, reached out, grabbed Qian Shiweng's arm, and dragged him back.

"That's enough."

"Lu Cheng is tired enough."

"He needs to rest."

Qian Shiweng was dragged along by her but didn't forget to turn back and smile at Lu Cheng.

"Alright, alright, rest, rest is important."

"Little Lu, come to the Qian Family for a meal another day, Grandfather will treat you personally!"

Qian Shuying's expression grew colder.

"Grandfather!"

"Fine, fine, I won't say anything else."

Although Qian Shiweng said he wouldn't say anything, the smile on his face didn't fade at all.

Watching the old man and the young girl walk away, Lu Cheng's mouth twitched.

This Old Master of the Qian Family...

But he was indeed tired.

After Qian Shuying dragged Qian Shiweng away, the remaining mess of the Qian Family continued to be handled by Qian Fuyun.

As for the Navigator Academy, they soon held an emergency meeting.

The location was the conference room in the side building of the Qian Family Manor.

Shen Guhong sat at the head of the table, with Instructor Qi Xiangtian beside him.

Lu Cheng, Su Wan, Qian Shuying, and Zhou Jinan were all present.

Chu Xiuxiu sat in the corner wrapped in a blanket, holding a cup of hot water, her little face still pale.

She had been terrified these past few days; it was not easy for her to have held on until now.

A light screen was projected in the center of the table.

Mei Wushuang's figure appeared on the screen.

She was clearly not idle either; the background was the Navigator Academy's command center, with rows of data screens flickering behind her.

"Let's start with the conclusion."

Mei Wushuang spoke, her voice very calm.

"You were very lucky this time."

"Not just ordinarily lucky."

"The Swallowing Wish Golden Toad is not an ordinary exotic beast, nor is it an ancient remnant spirit in the general sense."

"Judging from the Source Power samples collected so far, it is closer to the remnant body of an ancient god of the wish-granting type."

Remnant body of an ancient god—the group looked at each other, clearly not knowing what this was.

Shen Guhong explained, "A special creature condensed through the spiritual power of living beings, possessing 'uniqueness'... These creatures are almost impossible to destroy... The Golden Toad you saw today may appear again one day in the future..."

Mei Wushuang's gaze landed on Lu Cheng.

"There are three main reasons you were able to win."

"First, Qian Shuying's Geng Metal Tiger Pattern is inherently an atavistic bloodline of the White Tiger Wealth Sealing Seal, and her existence naturally suppresses the Golden Toad."

"Time was short; they didn't completely drain your bloodline, nor did they truly erase the remnants of the White Tiger Seal, so when the Golden Toad woke up, there was still the power of the White Tiger's suppression within its body."

Qian Shuying fell silent.

She looked down at the back of her hand.

There was still a faint afterimage of the tiger pattern there.

Mei Wushuang switched to the next image.

On the screen was Qian Duoduo's physical examination report.

"The second reason is him."

"The main altar is different from other places; a large number of Source Arrays were inscribed here to prevent the leakage of the Golden Toad's pollution..."

"The reason there were no guards downstairs in other places is that the pool constantly releases pollution. Only the Qian Family members have a certain resistance to this pollution; others, if exposed to the pollution for a long time... will lose their sanity and become those Black Seeds that remained today..."

"And Qian Duoduo, his constitution is very special, or rather, the bloodline of the Qian Family's main lineage originally contained a structure that could adapt to the Golden Toad's power."

"Unconsciously, he absorbed a portion of the Golden Toad's bloodline, which instead weakened the integrity of the Golden Toad during its resurrection."

"The third reason is that Su Wan placed soul marks on all the guests in the banquet hall in advance."

"The wishes and lifespans of those guests would originally have become important fuel for the Golden Toad's resurrection."

"You cut off the connection between them and the Pool of Ten Thousand Wishes in advance, which was equivalent to removing all the food just as the Golden Toad opened its mouth to feed."

"So the moment it woke up, its power was fractured."

"Coupled with Lu Cheng forcibly destroying the pipes, the altar connection was incomplete, which ultimately led to the failure of the Golden Toad's backlash."

"If any one of these steps had gone wrong, allowing the Golden Toad's resurrection to be more complete, the entire South District 7 would have become a disaster..."

Mei Wushuang's gaze fell back onto Lu Cheng.

"In addition, there are other matters..."

Lu Cheng looked up.

Mei Wushuang looked at him, her voice slowing by a beat.

"First, Lu Cheng, because of the livestream, you have completely appeared in the public eye."

No one in the conference room spoke, and Mei Wushuang continued.

"At seventeen or eighteen years old, possessing combat power comparable to a War General, and suspected of having multiple high-level talents."

"You have now become a target for many."

"The Black Seeds and the Origin Organization will both set their sights on you, and this is far more dangerous than you imagine..."

Lu Cheng was silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Let them come. Aunt Mei, you can't just let them come and capture me, can you?"

Mei Wushuang smiled:

"You guy, you're just like your father in this regard..."

"That's right... We cannot let them capture you... Director Shen has communicated with me."

"During this time, he will become your exclusive instructor... responsible for your safety... The academy will arrange the rest..."

Lu Cheng looked at Director Shen, "Director Shen, my safety during this time is in your hands!"

Shen Guhong remained his usual calm and collected self, merely nodding.

"And finally... there is one more thing..."

Mei Wushuang's expression was somewhat serious.