The Modern Martial Immortal-Chapter 71: Arrogance
"Yaoguang," Zong Yan could not help but call out.
He truly did not wish to see a conflict erupt between Yaoguang and the World-Saving Society. However, he also understood Yaoguang’s reservations. The Xie family manor had clearly been a trap, which proved that there were indeed internal issues within the World-Saving Society. It was only logical that he was unwilling to go to their headquarters.
"Please, calm yourself. The president will provide a reasonable solution," Zong Yan urged in a low voice.
Yaoguang glanced at him. Considering how this old martial paragon had worked tirelessly throughout the journey and had even been willing to risk his life to help at the Xie family manor, Yaoguang withdrew the murderous qi that had been locked onto Fang Lu.
Zong Yan breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
"President..." He turned his gaze toward Ji Pingtian.
Beside him, Ji Pingtian felt the power radiating from Yaoguang. It was a force that felt somewhat familiar, yet distinct from the psychic will he knew. His expression became complex and filled with hesitation.
After a long while, he said, "Yaoguang, your talent is indeed exceptional, enough for everyone to grant you special privileges. But it cannot be denied that there are many suspicious points surrounding you. We must investigate these matters thoroughly before making a final decision. Therefore, you must understand our predicament—"
"You seem to have mistaken something," Yaoguang interrupted before Ji Pingtian could finish.
He looked at the president of the World-Saving Society, a top-level figure who could represent the collective will of the entire organization. "I never wanted to join your society. Rather, it was your World-Saving Society that invited me, hoping to use my strength to oppose the martial paragons of the Crimson Star Empire. Therefore..." He stated indifferently, "Your predicament has nothing to do with me."
"Nothing to do with you?" Fang Lu could not help but glance at Ji Pingtian. "President, look at him. He clearly does not view himself as a true member of the World-Saving Society. He lacks even the slightest sense of the bigger picture."
Ji Pingtian ignored Fang Lu and continued to watch Yaoguang. "Then, what do you mean?"
"You only need to tell me whether you intend to honor that agreement," Yaoguang said bluntly.
Hearing such an impolite tone, a surge of displeasure rose within Ji Pingtian. A martial paragon was an existence standing at the pinnacle of a nation, an honored guest of any country. In some smaller nations, a martial paragon was their main pillar; they could even influence the succession to the throne.
Even a common martial paragon was treated with the utmost respect, let alone a psychic-will martial paragon like himself. They were truly the top-tier existences within an entire continent. No matter how great Yaoguang's talent or how high his potential, those were matters for the future. For now, he should still show proper respect toward a senior and a psychic-will realm martial paragon. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Ji Pingtian had valued Yaoguang’s talent and attempted to negotiate in good faith, only to be met with repeated, merciless rejections. He felt his dignity beginning to waver. He did not want a situation where the World-Saving Society provided massive funding only to cultivate an ungrateful person who could be lured away by the Crimson Star Empire.
"What if we do, and what if we don't?" Ji Pingtian’s voice carried a hint of coldness.
"If you do, transfer the money. If not..." Yaoguang pointed toward the door. "I will not see you out."
"How dare you!" Fang Lu could not help but step forward again. "How can you speak to our president like that?"
"Now, now, let's not go that far," Zong Yan said, fearing Yaoguang might strike Fang Lu. He hurriedly moved between the two of them and turned to Ji Pingtian. "President, Yaoguang's talent is beyond question. A nineteen-year-old martial paragon... If he is allowed to continue growing, achieving the psychic-will realm will be a simple matter. He might even master the Flawless Body. If he can enter the Artifact Sect, he will undoubtedly make further breakthroughs and enter the domain of a high-tier cultivator! If our World-Saving Society does not nurture such a genius, what if he is recruited by the Crimson Star Empire instead?"
"He killed a branch president of the Rebirth Society. Do you think the arrogant people of the Crimson Star Empire would still allow him to join?" Fang Lu interrupted with a cold sneer.
Zong Yan was momentarily stunned. The lofty sense of superiority held by the people of the Crimson Star Empire was built upon their formidable strength, which had subdued every nation over several centuries. It was a deeply rooted sentiment. Thus, Fang Lu's statement was not an exaggeration.
He looked at Fang Lu, then at Ji Pingtian. Is this the reason why the president remained so confident, despite knowing that Yaoguang’s talent is a once-in-a-century rarity?
"Actually, I personally feel that I have already proven I am not a daemon of the Rebirth Society," Yaoguang suddenly remarked.
"Proven? How have you proven it?" Fang Lu immediately shot back.
"How?" His tone carried a trace of indifference. "The fact that I am still standing here speaking civilly to you all is the best proof."
The moment these words were spoken, Zong Yan understood Yaoguang’s meaning. If he truly were a fiend who could kill entities with martial-paragon-tier combat power like Zhao Sheng and Xie Yusheng without even revealing his true form, then how powerful would his true strength be?
The president of the World-Saving Society, a core high-ranking member, Ji Pingtian, was standing right in front of him. If a fight truly broke out, not a single person among the dozen or so members of the World-Saving Society present today would leave the Yuyuan Estate alive.
Ji Pingtian also realized the implication behind Yaoguang's words. Suddenly, he was moved to angry laughter.
"Such a truculent and overbearing young man," he evaluated with a heavy tone.
"And an old man who is narrow-minded," Yaoguang replied calmly.
"Su Yaoguang, you are arrogant!" Fang Lu could not help but jump out again to reprimand him sharply. However, deep within her eyes, there was a flicker of excitement.
Yaoguang looked at this martial paragon from Dayu. One did not need to guess to know she had deep ties with the Liao royal family. Matching this with the information he had obtained from Zhao Sheng's soul fragments, it was clear she was fanning the flames.
From the beginning until now, Fang Lu had intentionally guided him into a confrontation with the World-Saving Society. She hoped to use Ji Pingtian’s hand to eliminate him, thereby currying favor with the Rebirth Society, which she had long since joined.
This was the reason for her uncharacteristic and constant interference.
"To avoid making things difficult for Zong Yan, I will not kill you now. Go back and tell the members of the Liao family that I am not having fun. Therefore, we shall continue from here," Yaoguang said.
Fang Lu was momentarily stunned. Then, as if realizing something, her face changed drastically. "Do you... Do you know what you are saying?!"
"Enough!" Seeing that Yaoguang was turning his spear toward Dayu's royal family, Ji Pingtian could not help but shout a heavy reprimand. He stepped forward. "Su Yaoguang, I admire your courage, but... it is far better to be taught a lesson by one's own people than by outsiders. Therefore..."
The coat draped over his shoulders slid off. A disciple behind him quickly stepped forward to catch the falling garment.
The president, a psychic-will martial paragon, had already walked to a spot three meters in front of Yaoguang. He came to a halt and reached out his hand. "Come! Let me see if your strength is as tough as your mouth! If you can defeat me and prove you truly have the power to keep us from leaving this courtyard, I will no longer harbor a single doubt about your identity. Furthermore, the 300 billion aster promised to you will be paid in full, and the World-Saving Society will spare no effort to help you climb to higher realms..."
"President—" Zong Yan tried to intervene.
However, he was directly interrupted by a wave of Ji Pingtian’s hand. "But if you do not have that strength, then do not blame me for forcibly taking you back for proper discipline."
He could not truly allow such a genius to remain adrift. If the Crimson Star Empire recruited him, the World-Saving Society would absolutely regret it. He could still determine the important matters. Therefore, he planned to defeat him, make him realize that there was always a higher heaven, and then use both emotion and reason, applying both favor and authority.
Young people were often overbearing; their character needed to be polished. Once tamed, he would naturally understand the president's painstaking efforts.
"A psychic-will martial paragon." Yaoguang looked directly at the president of the World-Saving Society. If he wanted to ensure that his next moves proceeded smoothly, fighting a battle to beat the World-Saving Society into submission was indeed a better way to handle things.
"Let's fight." Yaoguang reached out his hand in turn. "I will let you make the first move, lest you say I took advantage of your old age and weakness."
"How utterly arrogant." Ji Pingtian shook his head. "Compared to an ordinary martial paragon, a psychic-will martial paragon may not have a significant difference in physical strength. However, by condensing psychic will, a psychic-will martial paragon has a keener control over their own jin and can erupt with much greater power. It is like a Martial Dao master with sixty years of hard training compared to a fledgling disciple; even if their physiques are identical, a life-and-death struggle can be decided in an instant."
He turned his gaze to Zong Yan. "I will not take an unfair advantage. The records show his specialty is the sword. Give him one."
Zong Yan hesitated for a moment, but he quickly took a sword from one of the men beside him and tossed it toward Yaoguang.
"Take the sword. Although you have exceptional innate talent and perhaps do not fear psychic-will techniques, the advantage a psychic-will martial paragon has over an ordinary one is not as simple as the difference in psychic will alone," Zong Yan said.
Yaoguang caught the sword. Perhaps in Ji Pingtian’s eyes, he was pursuing fairness and justice by refusing to bully the young. But in Yaoguang’s eyes, it was merely the ignorance of a person who thought too much of himself.
"President, if Yaoguang is a fiend, he will certainly have a second form. To be safe, please put on your gloves and battle suit," Fang Lu said hurriedly from the side.
"No need," Ji Pingtian said, looking at Yaoguang. "Come."
Light flickered in Fang Lu’s eyes. She quietly shifted her position. This spot was perfectly suited for intervening on the battlefield.
"Heh!" Yaoguang chuckled softly.
Since Ji Pingtian was so confident, he would use the sword in his hand to shatter that confidence!
In the next moment, he struck. The instant he drew the sword, his powerful battle will triggered the essence and qi within his body, as if pouring his entire essence, qi, and psyche into the edge of the blade. At this moment, man, jin, and psyche became one with the sword in his hand, making his entire person resemble a streak of radiant light. He swept through the void and thrust straight at Ji Pingtian.
Not only that, but within his body, starlight seemed to flicker inside each of his acupoints. During that flash, the blood-qi forces that were originally used to lock in his essence and nourish his body were simultaneously activated and erupted. He had directly opened by using Star Ignition.
The blood-qi forces within each acupoint stacked layer upon layer, eventually transforming into a massive wave that crashed forward. This was combined with the terrifying battle will and momentum he had accumulated from slaying more than one martial-paragon-tier daemon, condensing all of his power into this single strike.
By the time the sword reached Ji Pingtian, the accumulated power had grown to its absolute peak, appearing like a brilliant meteor streaking through the sky. A terrifying jin and pressure came rolling in. Even Ji Pingtian's expression changed drastically, despite having prided himself on being a psychic-will martial paragon and having expected an easy victory until a moment earlier.
