Free Web NovelChapter 209: Chapter 161: Demonic Cultivation Art
Su Yue’s father was also aware of Yan Sea’s personality. He had actually been quite in favor of their marriage back in the day. As a father, all he wanted was for his daughter to be happy for the rest of her life, to have found a good man.
Who would have known that after the incident back then, the seemingly honest Yan Sea would just drop everything and run off to who-knows-where. Due to the urgency of the war, he himself had only been granted leave in the last two years.
Sigh, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like an ill-fated match. If only Su Yue were a bit more sensible and didn’t have her heart set on Yan Sea, he wouldn’t bother with this unreliable fellow at all.
Looking at the silent, impassive Yan Sea, he suppressed his displeasure. ’Since my precious daughter likes him, I’ll just let her have her way.’
"After you two are married, go and enjoy yourselves for a while. Then you can both take up positions in my army. I’ll be able to look out for you. You have the combat power of a Grandmaster, after all; you should establish some kind of foundation for yourselves. Besides, the cultivation of a Grandmaster is incredibly expensive. Being affiliated with the army will make it easier to practice. You’re both still young, so there’s potential for further advancement in the future..."
Parents always plan for their children’s futures. In Mr. Su’s eyes, Yan Sea, who was nearly fifty, was still just a child. After all, he had wasted ten years just to become a Grandmaster and still had nothing to show for it.
Yan Sea mumbled, wanting to object, but the words wouldn’t come. A single glance was all it took for Mr. Su to know what he was thinking. The man was simply too transparent; it was easy to guess his thoughts. And so, he berated him:
"Don’t listen to Yuanyuan’s maternal grandfather’s nonsense. Your master’s death was an accident, I am absolutely certain of it. Stop being so paranoid. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. You don’t need to be the one to charge into the breach."
Seeing Yan Sea remain silent, he knew his advice hadn’t had the slightest effect. ’This guy is completely pig-headed.’ He changed his tone and said:
"Fine, I know you and your master were very close, but please, think of this old man for a moment. I only have one daughter, Yuanyuan. If you want to investigate, I won’t stop you, but at least let me hold a grandchild first! Right?"
The moment these words were out, Mr. Su saw Yan Sea’s expression freeze. He immediately struck while the iron was hot. "Besides, how are you supposed to investigate all by yourself? Come serve under me in my army. Practice for a while, get in touch with your old comrades-in-arms, and build up your network. At the very least, that would be much better than trying to do everything on your own, right?"
Yan Sea remained silent, and it was impossible to tell if he’d had a change of heart.
Mr. Su waved his hand impatiently. "All right, just think it over. Once you marry Yuanyuan, you’re as good as my own child. Do you think I would harm you? That’s all I have to say!"
Mr. Su, feeling annoyed, wandered off. The moment he saw his precious daughter, his expression immediately changed to a smile.
Su Yue rarely acted so deferential in front of her father, and Mr. Su’s heart melted. In his daughter’s presence, the battle-hardened marshal showed a rare tenderness. He was chatting with her when a personal guard came to report.
"Reporting, Marshal! Lord Honglian has arrived!"
"What? Quickly, make preparations..."
He was shocked. Although they were both army commanders, his status and Honglian’s were worlds apart.
In the Yu Kingdom’s military system, corps were divided into four tiers, from highest to lowest: Super, Grade A, Grade B, and Standard.
The Shenxiao Army was a Grade A corps, while his Profound Blade Corps had only barely reached the Grade B level. The two couldn’t be mentioned in the same breath.
Aside from the requirements for troop numbers and the quantity of high-ranking Martial Artists, the most important criterion for a Grade A corps was that it must be overseen by a Martial Saint.
The requirements for a Grade B corps were lower; its strongest combatant only needed to be at the Grandmaster level.
As for the Super-grade corps, they had at least a double-digit number of Martial Saints and over a thousand Grandmasters.
In the entire, vast Yu Kingdom, only four such Super-grade corps had been assembled.
Su Junche took the news of Zhuo Feiming’s arrival very seriously. The difference in combat power between corps of different grades was nearly exponential. Objectively speaking, on a battlefield, the Shenxiao Corps could crush ten Profound Blade Corps with ease—and that was without their Martial Saint even taking part in the fight.
He had only just begun to make preparations when he saw a scarlet fighter jet hovering high in the sky. Accompanied by more than a dozen Grandmasters, Honglian slowly descended.
The sight filled him with endless envy. ’Those are Grandmasters! In the Profound Blade Corps, every single one of them would be a trusted lieutenant.’
’But who is the young man with him? I’ve never heard of Honglian having any children!’
Suppressing his questions, Su Junche rose a hundred meters into the air to greet them, accompanied by his two corps deputies and Yan Sea. This was a matter of etiquette. As his future son-in-law, Yan Sea had been dragged along to help present a good front.
Before they had even drawn close, Su Junche’s clear, resonant voice traveled a thousand meters, yet the sound waves were locked within that specific space, with not a single trace escaping.
"Xuanren Su Junche welcomes Lord Honglian’s descent!"
In an instant, the two parties were before each other. Zhuo Feiming raised a hand slightly. "You’re too kind. We’ve known each other on the battlefield for years. There’s no need for such formality!"
Su Junche laughed. "That won’t do. Etiquette must be observed! Please!"
"Please!"
Yu Fei was being held aloft by a Grandmaster. Seeing his master from a distance, he couldn’t help but break into a smile. It had been a long time. His master no longer had the appearance of the thin, dark-skinned farmer he once was. Now, his complexion was suffused with Qi Blood, his build was powerful, and his very presence was commanding.
Yan Sea also couldn’t hide his delight. He had learned that Yu Fei achieved an S-rank placement in the Celestial Pride Positioning Competition, and Su Yue had explained just how difficult that was. He couldn’t help but feel happy for Yu Fei.
He had been a disciple of Mr. Lanren, a lineage comprised of hard-working cultivators with ordinary talent. He never imagined that he himself would end up taking on a true prodigy as a disciple.
With a Martial Saint present, both master and disciple became as docile as lambs, waiting obediently to the side.
The group entered the main hall. After an exchange of pleasantries, Zhuo Feiming turned to Yan Sea and Yu Fei and said, "You two, master and disciple, haven’t seen each other in a long time. You are dismissed for now."
