I became a god through frontier slaughter, and I crushed the academy's prodigies!

The next morning.

In the center of Tianyun City stands the Zhentian Tower.

This colossal spire, crafted entirely from black gold, pierces the sky.

The tower's surface is covered with dense defensive runes that gleam in the sunlight.

This is the central authority of the entire Tianyun Prefecture.

Today, the annual performance review meeting of the eight major cities is being held here.

The circular staircase at the bottom of the tower was already bustling with activity.

Not only were the top officials of the eight major cities present, but almost all the prominent chamber of commerce presidents, financial magnates, and powerful families in Tianyun City were also there.

The performance review meeting is not only about reporting achievements, but also about redistributing resources for the next year.

At the entrance of the venue.

A group of people were walking in.

Leading the way should have been Zhou Xuan, the inspector of Tianyun Prefecture, or Qin Zhenshan, the general of Jiangcheng.

But today, the formation is a bit strange.

Zhou Xuan and Qin Zhenshan stood on the left and right, respectively, slightly behind by half a body length.

Walking in the very center was a seventeen-year-old boy dressed in black casual clothes.

Shen Tian.

Behind them followed Chi Xiao, as well as two big shots from Fengcheng, Zhang Yue and Lei Wanshan.

This team attracted a lot of attention as soon as they appeared.

A loud, gruff voice came from the side.

"Yo!"

"Isn't that Lao Qin!"

"Why are you here so early this year? In previous years, you Jiangcheng people always arrived right on time!"

A bald, burly man strode over.

Yan Town is guarded by Zhao Kuang.

The eight cities of Wei are united in spirit and work together to resist the strange beasts, never ambiguous on matters of principle.

But when it comes to dividing the pie, the competition between them is real.

Zhao Kuang is a straightforward person who often makes fun of Jiangcheng's consistently poor academic performance.

He walked up to Qin Zhenshan and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Old Qin."

"I heard that things haven't been peaceful in Jiangcheng lately, with some strange beasts causing quite a ruckus?"

"If all else fails, you can apply to the prefect to reduce the defense zone of Jiangcheng by half."

"Brother, I'll take on a little trouble and send someone to keep watch for you."

"It's still better than all those people dying every year!"

Although Zhao Kuang's words were barbed, they also stemmed from a condescending goodwill.

If it were any other year, Qin Zhenshan would have already blushed and argued with him.

But today.

Qin Zhenshan simply patted the dust off his shoulders.

He looked at Zhao Kuang with a smile.

"Old Zhao, you're very thoughtful."

"But this year, you don't need to worry about it."

"Our Jiangcheng is great."

Zhao Kuang was stunned for a moment.

He felt that Qin Zhenshan was acting a bit strangely today.

Why aren't you angry when you're being mocked?

Has this old man taken the wrong medicine?

Zhao Kuang's gaze passed over Qin Zhenshan and landed on Zhang Yue and Lei Wanshan behind him.

His eyes lit up.

"Brother Zhang! Brother Lei!"

"How come people from Fengcheng are mixing with people from Jiangcheng?"

"What's this, Old Qin, have you latched onto Fengcheng's coattails?"

Zhao Kuang laughed heartily.

Zhang Yue and Lei Wanshan exchanged a glance.

They both saw a hint of pity in each other's eyes.

Suck up to someone powerful?

We'd love to have Jiang Cheng hug us, but he'd have to be interested in us first!

Right now, it's Fengcheng that's shamelessly clinging to Jiangcheng's coattails!

Zhang Yue cleared his throat.

"Zhao Kuang"

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

"Our Fengcheng and Jiangcheng have a bond that transcends life and death."

Lei Wanshan added quietly from the side.

"Old Zhao."

Listen to my brother's advice.

"You'd better keep quiet during the meeting later."

"So as not to bite the hand that feeds you."

Zhao Kuang scratched his bald head, completely bewildered.

Why are these people acting so strangely today?

He didn't ask any more questions, shook his head, and turned to walk towards the seating area in Yancheng.

As Qin Zhenshan watched Zhao Kuang's retreating figure, he could no longer suppress the smile on his face.

Zhang Yue moved closer to Qin Zhenshan.

"Brother Qin."

"That Zhao Kuang always has a sharp tongue."

"When the results are announced later, I'll see where he puts his face."

Qin Zhenshan took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress his emotions.

"Keep a low profile."

"We Jiangcheng people are all about keeping a low profile."

The group followed Zhou Xuan to the front row of seats in the hall.

As is customary, Jiang Cheng's seat should be in the corner of the last row.

Zhou Xuan directly pulled Shen Tian to sit in the most central position in the first row.

The surrounding dignitaries all turned their heads, but seeing that Zhou Xuan was leading the way, no one dared to provoke him.

Time passed second by second.

The number of people in the venue was increasing.

All the senior executives of the eight major cities were seated.

Just five minutes before the performance review meeting was about to officially begin.

The heavy bronze door of the venue was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

A dull rustling sound echoed through the hall.

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to look.

Four people walked in through the gate.

left.

An elderly man dressed in a magnificent black robe, with white hair and a youthful face, exuded an imposing aura without being angry.

Behind him followed a young man dressed in the uniform of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, with an arrogant expression.

right.

A middle-aged man dressed in martial arts uniform exuded a sharp, razor-sharp aura.

Behind him followed a young man carrying a long sword and with an arrogant look in his eyes.

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the entire venue erupted in chaos.

The sound of countless people gasping for breath rose and fell.

"That's Master Guhe from the Heavenly Crafts Bureau?!"

"My goodness! Didn't Master Guhe not leave the gates of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau for ten years?"

"Why is he attending the performance review meeting today?"

"Ignore him! Look at the one on the right!"

"That's Yan Jinghan, the vice-principal of Longyuan Martial Arts University and a seventh-level martial artist!"

"What exactly is going on?"

The discussions swept through the entire circular venue like a tsunami.

Whether it's Guhe or Yan Jinghan.

Both of them were truly important figures in Tianyun Prefecture.

The Heavenly Crafts Bureau controls the lifeline of weaponry and equipment in the entire Heavenly Fortune Prefecture.

Longyuan Martial Arts University is the highest institution of learning for training top-tier combatants.

The Heavenly Craftsmen are detached from worldly affairs.

Longyuan Martial Arts University is completely independent of the Tianyun Prefecture's administrative system.

They don't need to report to anyone at all.

Even the head of Tianyun Prefecture would have to address these two respectfully as Master and Senior Yan.

What kind of wind is blowing today?

Did they blow these two great gods to the Tower of Suppression at the same time?

Iwaki's seating area.

Zhao Kuang's eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up.

"Good boy/girl."

"Was today's performance review meeting really that valuable?"

"Even Master Gu and Master Yan came to audit the class?"

The garrison commanders of the other garrisons also sat up straight and straightened their uniforms.

Everyone assumed that the two bigwigs had come to inspect the defense work of Tianyun Prefecture.

I wanted to make a good impression on the two big shots.

If you happen to be chosen, even a small amount of resources or a spot would be an incredible stroke of luck.

Gu He and Yan Jinghan walked into the venue side by side.

Their eyes met in the air.

Sparks seemed to be colliding in mid-air.

Yan Jinghan gave a cold laugh.

"Old man."

"At your age, why aren't you warming yourself by the fire? What are you doing out here joining in the fun?"

"Be careful not to strain your back."

Guhe retorted without hesitation.

"Yan Mangfu"

"You don't know anything."

"I've come today to welcome the future director of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau home."

"But it's you."

"What are you doing here?"

Yan Jinghan's eyes turned cold.

"What a coincidence."

"I'm here today to welcome my future mentor from Longyuan Martial Arts University."