Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 244 A Dragon Among Men
At six o'clock in the evening, Gao Wu brought Song Mingyue to Zhongyuan.

He said he wanted to treat everyone, but Song Yunhe insisted on making the arrangements, so he could only comply.

For him, it doesn't matter who treats him or what he eats; what matters is who he meets and what he says.

Staff drove a shuttle bus to take Gao Wu and Song Mingyue to their destination, where Song Yunhe was already waiting at the gate.

Gao Wu often joked about Song Yunhe behind his back, but he couldn't be impolite to his face. He hurriedly got out of the car and greeted him, "Uncle Song, you're too kind. I, as a junior, don't deserve it."

He bowed respectfully as he spoke.

Song Mingyue, who was standing next to her, simply called out "Dad" softly, and then said nothing more.

Song Yunhe warmly grabbed the martial arts expert: "Given our relationship, you're being too formal."

He then greeted his daughter, "Come in quickly, your grandfather has arrived."

Gao Wu was slightly surprised: "Senior Song is here too?"

Upon entering the Central Garden, out of caution, he used his Yin Spirit to survey the area and discovered the presence of a martial arts master. The aura was very familiar, indicating that it must be Song Chunqiu.

"He happened to be in Dongjiang on business, and when he knew you were coming, he made a special trip to see you," Song Yunhe explained with a smile.

"That's wonderful. It's been a long time since I've seen Senior Song." Gao Wu said, glancing at Song Mingyue. Song Mingyue's various resource support was crucial to his rapid rise in the early stages. Song Chunqiu had also been very good to him and provided a lot of support.

Given his relationship with Xiao Song, calling him "Master" would be too formal. Calling him "Grandpa" would be a bit too obsequious; only "Senior" would be appropriate.

With the entire Song family here today, how about we all become one family? Isn't it a bit too early, considering he's only eighteen...?

Song Mingyue knew Gao Wu too well. She lowered her eyes slightly and didn't think this kind of thing was very meaningful. The two of them had a spiritual resonance, which was already the closest relationship in the world.

Both parties cultivate themselves together and make progress together, sharing the same goals and aspirations, surpassing countless couples throughout history.

With these foundations in place, everything else is just a boring ritual.

Gao Wu understood Song Mingyue's meaning, and he smiled, agreeing.

Upon entering the main hall, Gao Wu saw Song Chunqiu sitting in the main seat. More than a year had passed since he last saw him, and he was still the same as before.

With white hair and eyebrows, bright and sharp eyes, and dressed in a crisp black military uniform, he naturally exuded a powerful aura as he sat there.

Song Mingyue's beautiful and alluring stepmother, Han Lingxia, stood to the side with a chubby little boy.

The chubby boy was clearly intimidated by Old Song's imposing manner, standing obediently with a pained expression, not daring to move an inch.

"Gao Wu, it's been a long time!" Song Chunqiu stood up and greeted him with a smile, his eyes full of undisguised admiration.

With his perspective as a martial arts master, he could see that Gao Wu's transformation was enormous.

Regardless of their martial arts cultivation level, Gao Wu's appearance and physique can vary greatly.

A year ago, Gao Wu was strong, heroic, and brave, but he was still at the limit of a mortal. Now, Gao Wu is radiant and clear inside and out, with his facial features and physique reaching near-perfect proportions, almost like a celestial being!

In terms of physical condition alone, Gao Wu is even stronger, higher, and better than his father, the Martial King.

He had a feeling that Gao Wu was now incredibly powerful. Thinking back to just a year ago when Gao Wu was merely a warrior who had almost been killed by Wan Canglong, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Gao Wu bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, senior."

"Not bad, but not as good as you." Song Chunqiu laughed. He was a native of Beizhou. He used to have to be formal when talking to Gao Wu, but now that Gao Wu had a different status, he didn't need to be so particular about his words.

"Hehe, it's all thanks to the elders who took care of me..." Gao Wu smiled when he saw how relaxed Song Chunqiu was.

The two chatted for a while in the living room, mainly Gao Wu talking about the situation in Nanzhou and Dongwei Island.

Han Lingxia and her son listened quietly from the side. Although she was eloquent, she didn't say much in front of Song Chunqiu.

Upon hearing about the millions of demon god believers on Dongwei Island, Song Chunqiu sighed, "The situation is getting worse and worse."

"If this continues, within three to five years, morale will collapse, and the century-old alliance will crumble along with it..."

Gao Wu remained silent. The powerful were actually quite pessimistic about the future. Song Chunqiu was like that, as were Hai Wuji and Qin Jiuyue.

Fortunately, Song Yunhe was good at livening up the atmosphere and shifted the topic to the specific actions of slaying demons and monsters, giving Gao Wu a chance to boast about his achievements.

It's not really boasting; simply stating the facts creates a dramatic effect.

Song Chunqiu listened very attentively. Even though Gao Wu spoke casually, he knew how dangerous such a battle was, especially since it involved a sixth-level high priest.

While everyone was chatting, the staff set up the banquet table, and everyone sat down to eat. Several men started drinking.

Song Yunhe was initially a little reserved in front of his father, but after a few drinks, he gradually relaxed.

With someone who could chat so well, and Gao Wu being so cooperative, the atmosphere immediately became lively.

After the meal, even the usually reserved Han Lingxia had a smile on her face, indicating that she was in a good mood.

The children, however, were uncomfortable staying there and kept clamoring to leave.

Song Chunqiu waved his hand, signaling Song Yunhe and his family to leave first.

With no one else in the living room, Song Chunqiu finally got down to business with Gao Wu.

"Gao Wu, do you want to join the army?"

"Huh?" Gao Wu was a little surprised. Song Chunqiu had come all this way just to recruit him?

This really put him in a difficult position. Because of Song Mingyue's relationship, he was naturally a close friend of the Song family. But joining the military directly was another matter entirely. He also had Hai Wuji above him, and he didn't know what the old man's relationship was with the various organizations.

The only certainty was that the surveillance system was in the old man's hands, so when he gave the order, surveillance bureaus across the country went all out to sweep away the evil cult, and no one dared to let him off the hook.

Gao Wu thought for a moment and said, "I need to ask the teacher for his opinion on this matter."

Song Chunqiu nodded: "The military is commanded by the alliance and does not belong to any one person. From a standpoint perspective, the military has always been a hardline pro-war faction."

The military's tough stance stems from both a sense of righteousness and its own considerations; otherwise, what would be the point of its existence?

He then added, "My father and Hai Gong are also good friends, so you don't need to worry about that."

Seeing that Gao Wu remained silent, Song Chunqiu continued, "The supervisory department is good, but that's about it. Such a large organization is riddled with factions. You wouldn't have enough time to fight among them if you went in."

"Take this time for example, you made a great contribution, did you receive any recognition or reward, or were you promoted?"

Gao Wu smiled. He couldn't say much about other things, but getting promoted was easy.

As for internal strife, factions are inevitable in any organization. Any order, if it passes through more than three levels from top to bottom, will inevitably be distorted.

Song Chunqiu said, "My father is on temporary assignment at the General Staff Department. You can directly join the Sirius Action Team, which he commands. You will hold the rank of Major General and lead your own team, free from the constraints of Alliance law. You will only be responsible to my father internally."

"Ha..." Gao Wu was a little tempted. A major general is quite impressive. The key is that he is not subject to any constraints. If any problems arise, he doesn't need to step in. The military will naturally take the lead.

Being a disciple of the Sword Saint isn't exactly an official title. Furthermore, he himself needs a sufficiently high status to act on; he can't always rely on his teacher's name.

"Senior, I need to consult with my teacher before I can give a reply." Gao Wu said apologetically. He was naturally willing to stand with the Song family, as they were a very reliable ally in every respect.

It may seem a bit early to form cliques, but such things are inevitable. The stronger and higher one's position, the more one must deal with these things.

Song Chunqiu then said, "I have another personal matter I'd like to ask for your help with."

"It is an honor for me to serve you, senior." Gao Wu didn't ask what it was about, but since Song Chunqiu had already asked him for help, he couldn't refuse.

Song Chunqiu seems reliable; it's impossible for him to be sent to kill a level-seven alien beast...

“I discovered a diamond crystal vein in the No. 197 secret realm under my jurisdiction. It is a very important natural metal crystal and a basic material for manufacturing high-end equipment such as divine weapons and armor. It is extremely valuable.”

Song Chunqiu and Gao Wu had nothing to hide, so Song Chunqiu explained the problems he had encountered in detail.

The mineral veins are extremely valuable, but they are hidden deep underground. Unfortunately, the underground is infested with various strange spirits, most of which are tangible yet invisible, like evil ghosts. They are immune to modern firearms, and only martial arts masters can kill these spirits.

The number of supernatural beings is increasing, causing significant damage.

Because it involved a mineral vein, Song Chunqiu couldn't easily ask outsiders for help, and it just so happened that Gao Wu had returned.

His plan was to go deep into the mine with Gao Wu and two martial arts masters to completely wipe out the alien spirits.

"This is easy."

Gao Wu said, "I'll stay for two more days. Once Grandpa's condition stabilizes, I'll come to see you."

"Good." Song Chunqiu was very satisfied with the result and Gao Wu's attitude. He said, "I won't let you work for nothing. You'll get one percent of the diamond crystals produced."

Fearing Gao Wu might not understand, he explained further, "The mine is very large; by the end of the year, we should be able to get at least a hundred kilograms."

Gao Wu declined, saying, "It is my duty to do things for my seniors, and I cannot accept any payment."

"No need to be polite. Even brothers should keep clear accounts."

Song Chunqiu said seriously, "What I dislike most is being vague and unclear, which makes me feel awkward and unhappy later. The greater the benefit, the clearer the accounts must be!"

"You're right." Gao Wu nodded in agreement. Song Chunqiu's words were a bit rough, but the reasoning was sound. More importantly, Song Chunqiu was able to put his knowledge into practice.

Only by doing it does the understanding gained have meaning. Otherwise, it's just empty talk!

Seeing that it was getting late, Gao Wu took his leave.

Song Mingyue, being a direct descendant of the Song family, stayed in Zhongyuan to keep Song Chunqiu company.

"You've made great progress," Song Chunqiu remarked.

"Yes, it's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching. I also benefited greatly from Gao Wu's guidance," Song Mingyue replied softly.

"You're at level five now?" Song Chunqiu asked curiously. Song Mingyue didn't deliberately unleash her source power, so he could only tell that his granddaughter's cultivation was pure, but he couldn't judge her true cultivation level.

"Hmm, I've condensed eighteen acupoints, but my foundation is still a bit lacking. I'd say I'm at level five." Song Mingyue wasn't particularly proud of her cultivation level. Gao Wu had condensed six fewer acupoints than her, yet his source power level was higher.

The others, Yan Qiushui and Chu Shenxiu, were all top geniuses and much stronger than her.

Song Chunqiu was slightly surprised; someone who had become a martial arts master in just one year was not much worse than him.

His feelings were somewhat complicated. It was truly a joyous occasion that the Song family had produced such a genius. What made him even happier was the close relationship between her and Gao Wu.

If Gao Wu advances to level seven, even if the old man is gone, the Song family will still have someone to keep things in order!

Song Chunqiu asked, "What do you think of Gao Wu?"

"A dragon among men, unparalleled in the world." Song Mingyue's voice was gentle, yet filled with unwavering seriousness and determination...

Song Chunqiu chuckled, then nodded, "That assessment is very accurate and appropriate!"

(Please give me a monthly ticket~)

(End of this chapter)