127: Chapter 128 Official Invitation

An instant kill! It was still an instant kill without any suspense! Moreover, it was a complete crushing, on both offense and defense!

That seemingly earth-shattering "Ice Prison" couldn't even hurt a single hair on that Elf Priest! That pale gold, thin-as-a-cicada-wing barrier left an indelible, nearly invincible impression in everyone's hearts.

In the organizer's seats, those two top-tier powerhouses, accustomed to big storms and waves, couldn't hide the shock on their faces.

Xu Ruohan, that Nation-Guarding Level Angel Summoner who was always cold and detached, as if she didn't eat human food, showed a clear, sustained change in expression on her beautiful face for the first time.

Her eyes, as clear as a cold pool, were tightly locked onto the holy figure on the arena, with strange light swirling in the depths of her pupils.

"Interesting..." She parted her red lips slightly and spat out two words, the voice so low that only Su Zongming beside her could barely hear.

This battle simultaneously displayed that the Elf Priest had reached an unfathomable top-tier level in both attack and defense!

This had completely exceeded the conventional understanding of a "Priest" class, or even a "level 50-something summon."

Although no one could definitively distinguish how much of this terrifying power came from the summon's own talent and how much from its Summoner's mysterious buffing abilities, the result pointed to a shocking fact regardless of the source—the combat power of this combination was absolutely top-tier, even at the level of level-100 powerhouses!

"It seems it's impossible to see his limits in this city-level competition." Su Zongming, wearing sunglasses, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

His sharp gaze shifted from the arena to the black-haired boy in the contestant seats who was chatting easily with his daughter, his tone filled with heavy expectation and a hint of playfulness, "However, the rules for the Jiangnan Province Provincial Tournament three days later will be different."

"What is tested then is not just the single-target strength of a summon... By then, perhaps we can see how the combat power of his other summons really is."

"A single Elf Priest alone could never possess such comprehensive combat power." Xu Ruohan shook her head slightly, her tone returning to its usual coldness, but the certainty contained within was even stronger.

She herself was an existence standing at the peak of Summoners and had an extraordinary understanding of the combat power composition of Summoners at various levels.

"This young man's Summoner talent is definitely SSS-rank, and the effects are bound to be extremely comprehensive and special. It's just that exactly what the effects are will require further observation."

Soon, under the personal indication of Xu Ruohan, the organizers announced the result of the match—the only one to advance was the Summoner Lin Muyang!

The other nine, including the Ice-clan Mage carefully prepared by Long Aotian, all retreated in defeat under Lilia's "Bright Light Holy Arrow."

This result left countless people at the scene and in front of their screens in a state of unreal trance, especially those who still held a glimmer of expectation for Long Aotian.

And the one who could least accept this reality was Long Aotian himself.

He slumped in the contestant seat, his face as pale as paper, his eyes unfocused, as if he were a shell emptied of its soul.

The top-tier light-resistance equipment he had spent huge guild contributions and resources to exchange for, the carefully prepared counter-skills, the tactics he had bet everything on... in front of the opponent's casual, not even moving a half-step, absolute strength, it was like a ridiculous farce, ruthlessly crushed.

"The gap... is too big..." He muttered bitterly to himself, the last shred of unwillingness and luck in his heart dissipating.

He had to admit that there was an insurmountable chasm between himself and the boy named Lin Muyang.

It was just that what he couldn't figure out no matter what—was that kid really only level 56? This completely overturned his understanding of the power system for decades!

In fact, not to mention that Lin Muyang was already close to level 70, even if he were really only level 56, under the terrifying blessing of multiple God-Tier Aura, Lilia's damage had long reached the point of being able to instantly kill ordinary level-100 powerhouses.

Lin Muyang's gaze was no longer limited to a single city or territory; these opponents in the city-level competition were no longer worthy of being his true "opponents."

After this crushing victory, Xu Ruohan and Su Zongming in the organizer's seats lost interest in watching other matches.

Their purpose for this trip had been achieved—to confirm with their own eyes the true combat power of this suddenly rising super genius and to have a preliminary assessment of his potential.

The two spoke a few words in low voices, then rose one after another, and under the respectful gaze of a group of official personnel, left the VIP seats quietly.

Their time was extremely precious; since they had already obtained the intelligence they wanted, there was no need to stay here long.

As for further contact and communication with Lin Muyang, it was naturally left to Su Qingyue, who was more familiar and had more "connections" with him.

As for the subsequent matches, in everyone's view, the suspense had already been lost.

One Elf Priest was enough to crush the whole field, and the city-level competition had no restrictions on "the same summon cannot appear repeatedly."

It was foreseeable that as long as Lin Muyang was willing, he could completely use Lilia to push through all the way and easily take the city tournament championship.

Even, to avoid unnecessary losses, other contestants would likely choose to forfeit directly when encountering him.

After all, the final third round was a round-robin points tournament, where everyone played eight matches.

Knowing that losing to Lin Muyang was inevitable, forcing one's own main summon to go up and die, causing strength damage in subsequent matches against other contestants, was undoubtedly an extremely stupid choice.

The facts were just as everyone expected.

In the subsequent four ten-person melee matches, although Senior Li Yun and others also showed strong strength and successfully advanced, everyone's attention was no longer here.

When the final nine people entered the third round of the round-robin points tournament, a tacit understanding was quickly formed—except for Lin Muyang himself, the other eight contestants reached an agreement in private: when encountering Lin Muyang in the round-robin, everyone would directly concede!

Preserve strength, go to fight for the other seven winning matches, and compete for the remaining two qualifying spots.

Thus, after the third round of the competition began, a rather dramatic scene appeared.

Whenever it was Lin Muyang's turn to play, his opponent wouldn't even wait for the referee to announce the start of the match, but would simply and neatly stand up and announce loudly in the direction of the referee's table and the auditorium: "This match, I concede!"

Once, twice, three times...

For all eight round-robin matches, Lin Muyang didn't fight a single one, winning without bloodshed, easily taking all eight points, and locking in the first place in the Zhongnan City division ahead of schedule, as well as the precious qualifying spot for the Provincial Tournament!

Conversely, Long Aotian, who was full of confidence and determined to win before the match, was heartbroken after being eliminated by Lin Muyang in the second round, and didn't even wait for the competition to end, leaving with a livid face, whereabouts unknown.

After this battle, the name "Lin Muyang," which was originally unknown, rose like a comet, resounding throughout Zhongnan City in an indisputable posture, and through the crazy spread of the internet and media, it quickly spread to the whole country!

Even if many other cities were busy with their own division tournaments and had no time to spare, it wouldn't be long before the name of this young Summoner, representing "miracle" and "invincible," would surely spread across the country, becoming the focus of countless people's discussion and attention.

When Lin Muyang confirmed that he had obtained the Provincial Tournament spot as the first place in the city tournament without any suspense, he took Lilia and Seraphina, accompanied by Su Qingyue, and left the Martial Arts Stadium, which had already become the scene of his personal "coronation ceremony."

"Congratulations, Lin Muyang! First place in the city tournament, well-deserved!" Walking out of the venue, the cool night breeze blowing, Su Qingyue had a sincere smile on her face as she congratulated Lin Muyang.

But deep in her eyes, there was a bit more solemnity than congratulations.

"Thank you, Teacher Su." Lin Muyang nodded with a smile, knowing that what she was about to talk about next was the main event of the night.

The two walked and talked, and Su Qingyue also put away her relaxed look, her tone becoming formal and serious.

"First, it concerns this National Summoner Tournament." Su Qingyue got straight to the point. "The champion's reward, that mythical grade skill book, is too attractive. According to the intelligence we have gathered, the number of top-tier Summoners eyeing it this time far exceeds previous years. Even in Jingdu City, veteran Summoner powerhouses nearing level 200 have signed up to compete. It will be extremely difficult for you to win the national championship."

She paused to observe Lin Muyang's reaction, and seeing that he remained calm, she continued, "Therefore, after evaluating the talent and potential you have displayed, the higher-ups have decided to provide you with as much support as possible on your road to winning the national championship."

"Support?" Lin Muyang raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes. The authorities will grant you t1 level access to the 'National Treasury'." When Su Qingyue said this, her tone couldn't help but carry a hint of envy. "The National Treasury is the core repository where Xia Country collects and stores precious resources from across the nation, divided into multiple levels. t1 level is already a very high access level. Once you obtain this access, you can choose eight pieces of equipment or skill books from the National Treasury for free every month. As long as they are within your access range and appropriate for your level, you may choose them at will."

She explained further, "The t1 level inventory, in the 60-70 level stage, already contains quite a few epic-grade equipment and skill books, some of which have top-tier attributes. Even for you, they should be of significant help."

Lin Muyang felt a slight stir in his heart. epic-grade equipment was not exactly common, even for him. He and the young ladies only had a small half-set of epic-grade gear on them currently, with most of the rest being Emperor Level. The opening of the National Treasury would undoubtedly greatly accelerate the upgrading of their equipment.

What moved him even more was when Su Qingyue added, "Additionally, the t1 level National Treasury also houses some 'origin skill books'. This type of resource is something even many top-tier powerhouses find hard to come by."

origin skill books! This was indeed a significant temptation.

"I didn't expect the country's level of support for geniuses to be this great?" Lin Muyang remarked with some emotion. In comparison, his previous anonymous identity as a "solo clearing genius," while having attracted some attention, had received far less substantial support.

"Your 'solo clearing genius' identity was, after all, of unknown origin, so it was normal for the higher-ups to have concerns." Su Qingyue seemed to have guessed his thoughts and explained, "Furthermore, opening the National Treasury requires strict identity verification and background checks. Your previous identity... naturally couldn't pass that. Now that you have displayed indisputable potential under the identity of 'Lin Muyang', obtaining these resources is only logical. This can be considered... an investment in your talent."

"It seems that appropriately showcasing one's talent does have some benefits." Lin Muyang smiled, feeling no dissatisfaction with this. He had chosen to keep a low profile previously for the sake of safety and development. Now that his strength had begun to take shape, it was the perfect time to obtain official resources to accelerate his growth. The quantity of good, low-level items in the National Treasury was limited, so joining now was the perfect timing.

In addition to the monthly free quota, Su Qingyue also introduced the "Contribution Points" system. Items that one does not need but might have research or practical value to the country can be submitted to the National Treasury, and after expert evaluation, corresponding Contribution Points can be obtained. Contribution Points can be used to exchange for resources beyond the free quota, equivalent to an official internal high-level trading platform.

"By the way, Teacher Su, do you have access to the National Treasury yourself?" Lin Muyang asked with some curiosity.

"I do... but only at the T3 level, and I can only claim two items for free each month." Su Qingyue smiled helplessly, her tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation. "After all, I only have an s-rank talent. Being able to have this access is thanks to my father's status, which added points during the 'background' check."

"Background?" Upon hearing this term, Lin Muyang immediately understood its meaning. This was to ensure that everyone with access to the National Treasury was an absolutely loyal and firm "insider," eliminating any potential risk of spies or betrayal. Su Qingyue's father was a high-ranking official with a clean family background, so she naturally had an advantage in this regard.

"Additionally, there is one more thing I need to remind you of." Su Qingyue's expression turned serious, and her voice lowered slightly. "Your performance this time was too high-profile; the relevant news and videos have already spread across the internet. It is certain that not only domestic but many foreign forces and intelligence organizations have likely already taken note of you."

She looked at Lin Muyang, her tone solemn. "For the sake of your safety, the authorities will dispatch two experts between level 220 and 240 to protect you in secret by rotation. They will not appear before you, nor will they interfere with your normal life; you just need to know that this is happening and treat it with a normal mindset. Their mission is to ensure that you are not maliciously recruited, kidnapped, or assassinated by foreign forces."

Hearing this, Lin Muyang's expression became somewhat strange.

Top-tier experts over level 200 taking turns protecting him in secret? This treatment... was it perhaps a bit too good?

But on second thought, this was also normal. Given the talent and potential he had currently displayed—soaring from level 1 to nearly level 70 in one month, with a summon possessing the terrifying combat power to instantly kill level 100 opponents—he could no longer be described as a "regular genius." This was clearly a "national treasure" level seedling who was highly likely to grow into a Nation-Guarding Level, or even surpass it in the future! His value was not even inferior to the current Xu Ruohan!

You must know that even in Xu Ruohan's day, with the authorities' full support, it took her a full three months to level up from 1 to 50. Yet Lin Muyang had achieved this without any overt official support; the information and potential implied behind this were enough for the highest levels of authority to attach great importance to him.

Of course, the information the authorities currently possessed regarding the "mysterious big shot" hidden behind Lin Muyang remained limited. They roughly inferred that said big shot's level should not exceed 142. As for other identity information, it was a blank slate. The authorities were still investigating but had not utilized certain taboo methods involving causality or divination—after all, such skills usually carried a huge price and could not be easily used to investigate one's own "geniuses."

"Alright, I have said everything that needs to be said." Su Qingyue stopped walking; they had already reached the edge of the plaza outside the martial arts arena. "You should go back and have a good rest to prepare for the Provincial Tournament. I will take you to handle the relevant procedures and activate your National Treasury access tomorrow. Remember, stay safe, and if there are any abnormalities, contact me at any time."

"Understood, thank you, Teacher Su." Lin Muyang thanked her sincerely. Regardless of the considerations, this support from the authorities was tangible help to him.

After parting ways with Su Qingyue, Lin Muyang took Lilia and Seraphina and boarded a dedicated official vehicle to return to Ziyun Mountain Villa. He did not pay too much attention to the matter of the authorities sending people to protect him. Given his current strength and vigilance, if there really was any danger, it was uncertain who would be protecting whom. However, he appreciated the sentiment and attitude.

"Let's go back first, and tomorrow I'll go to the National Treasury to see what good things are there!" Lin Muyang already had his plans. Resources were always an indispensable part of the road to becoming stronger.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in Tianhai City.

In the Gu family manor, inside a bedroom that was luxuriously decorated yet exuded a cold atmosphere.

A stunningly beautiful young lady wearing a well-tailored, purple, gold-embroidered qipao, with a slender figure and hair like a waterfall, was sitting quietly, leaning against a soft sofa. Only a dim wall lamp was on in the room, and the yellowish light outlined her exquisite yet slightly pale profile, as well as a lingering melancholy between her brows.

She held the latest model of mobile phone in her hand, the screen glowing, displaying detailed reports about the genius Summoner "Lin Muyang" from Zhongnan City today, screenshots of the competition videos, and some basic information just released by the authorities.

The young lady's beautiful eyes, which were originally lively and cunning but were now veiled with a faint shadow, stared intently at the calm face of the black-haired youth on the screen, and the Elf Priest beside him who was as holy as an angel.