Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

With his cultivation technique maxed out, Lin Tian felt that his "lying flat" life had reached a new level.

In addition to taking care of his child and going for walks, he now has another form of entertainment every day—getting familiar with and adapting to his rapidly growing sense of control.

For example, he can now precisely use a trace of Heavenly Gang True Power to light the firewood in the stove from a distance without blowing up the entire kitchen.

Alternatively, one could use the exquisite control of power derived from the "Hundred Refinements of the Star Body" to smash a walnut to pieces with a gentle tap, leaving the kernel intact—and then feed it to the drooling Lin Feng.

The little guy can walk very steadily now, although he still wobbles a bit when he runs, but his desire to explore the world is extremely strong.

The child's pronunciation of "Dad" is becoming clearer, and occasionally he can even utter single words like "eat," "want," and "play," which gives Lin Tian, ​​the father, a great sense of accomplishment.

In the midst of this leisurely period, the cooldown period for the system's monthly free summons finally came to an end!

This time, Lin Tian was much calmer.

After all, there was a precedent of summoning crows, so he did a good job managing his expectations.

"System, use the monthly free summon!"

Starlight converges and rotates.

[Summoning begins... Summoning level is randomizing... Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained a Silver-level summoning item—Group Summoning Card (Bad Guy Elite Squad)!]

[Description: This skill summons ten elite members of the Bad Guys organization. Their strength ranges randomly from the Innate Realm to the Grandmaster Realm. They are absolutely loyal to the host and possess extensive experience and skills at the grassroots level of the Bad Guys organization (infiltration, reconnaissance, combat, combined attacks, etc.).]

Ten people! And a well-organized elite squad at that!

Lin Tian's eyes lit up.

Although it's only Silver-tier, it's exactly the kind of grassroots backbone the Bad Guys organization needs for its current expansion! It's much more practical than a single Gold-tier item!

Without hesitation, he used the card directly.

Ten faint beams of light flashed before him, but no human figure appeared directly.

At the same time, the organizational management interface in his mind changed.

[Organization: Bad Guys (Development Stage)]

Leader: Yuan Tiangang (Loyalty 100%)

[Current Members: 197/? ? ? (Core Members + External Informants + New Summoning Squad)]

[Development Status: Initial control has been gained over the underground intelligence networks of the three surrounding counties, and infiltration into the state capital has begun. Resources are plentiful, and multiple secret outposts have been established.]

[New unit: Bad Guys - Squad 7 (10 members), already taken over by leader Yuan Tiangang and incorporated into the action sequence.]

"Not bad, not bad. The commander-in-chief definitely knows how to use these people." Lin Tian nodded in satisfaction.

With Yuan Tiangang managing things outside, he could completely relax and be a hands-off manager.

After dealing with the summons, his life revolved around taking care of his child and exploring the town.

That day, he took Lin Feng's little hand and strolled to a small river near the foot of the mountain at the east end of the town.

This river is a branch of the large river outside the town. The water flows gently and is crystal clear, where you can see the swaying aquatic plants and the swimming of small fish and shrimp.

Raymond Lam has a natural love for water. He squatted by the river, poking at the water with a small twig, and giggling.

Lin Tian leaned against a willow tree, enjoying the afternoon breeze, his gaze casually sweeping across the river.

Suddenly, his gaze settled on the shadows behind a large rock in the middle of the river.

There seems to be a fish there... something different.

Its entire body is pale gold, and its scales reflect a shimmering light under the sunlight filtering through the water.

It is much longer than a regular carp, with two barely noticeable bulges on its head and what appears to be two long, thin golden whiskers around its mouth.

Its swimming posture possesses a natural elegance and mystique, forming a stark contrast with the bewildered little fish around it.

What's most peculiar is that its eyes, unlike the dullness of ordinary fish, exude a kind of intelligence, and even... a kind of innate arrogance.

Lin Tian's heart stirred, and he subconsciously used the system to investigate.

【Name: Juvenile Flood Dragon (Metal Attribute)】

[Status: Healthy, Active (Currently no cultivation level, in the early stages of spiritual awakening, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth for growth)]

[Information: A naturally formed spiritual creature born from the convergence of the earth's dragon energy and the Geng metal energy of Hexi Town over a century. It possesses immense potential and requires a long period to mature. Upon reaching adulthood, its strength will be roughly equivalent to the first level of the Celestial Realm in humans, capable of summoning wind and rain and controlling thunder. Currently in its infancy, it is extremely fragile.]

[Note: This is a spirit bestowed by heaven and earth, and one of the "array spirits" derived from the sealing array of this place, connected to the town's destiny.]

A young dragon? Currently without cultivation?

Lin Tian almost bit his tongue.

His eyes widened as he stared at the small golden dragon leisurely swishing its tail behind the rock, its movements utterly devoid of any power. His mind raced: "Holy crap! What kind of auspicious place is this Hexi Town? The gatekeeper is an ancient god's disciple, and swimming in the river is... the future dragon king's cub?"

His heart started pounding uncontrollably.

That's a dragon!

A legendary creature!

Although he's currently a weakling, he'll grow into a powerful being at the Celestial Realm!

If we can build a good relationship now, we can start a "nurturing" relationship...

He subconsciously rubbed his hands together, thinking about how to trick... no, attract this little guy over.

But he quickly calmed down.

This thing is not only one of the favored children of this world and that massive sealing formation, but it's also a "porcelain doll" that can't be touched! Who knows what the consequences would be if you moved it?

Such opportunities can be seized by future generations.

Is it worth disrupting the peaceful, laid-back life we've worked so hard to maintain for a young dragon that currently has no fighting ability and whose future is uncertain, who we'll have to raise for who knows how many years?

Lin Tian looked at the little golden dragon. The little creature seemed to sense his gaze, turned its head, and glanced at him with its intelligent eyes, its eyes even carrying a hint of... curiosity? Then it flicked its tail and disappeared into the shadows deeper into the rock.

"Never mind, never mind." Lin Tian sighed, completely abandoning the idea.

"Forced melons are never sweet, and forcibly taken dragon cubs... are likely to suffer great misfortune."

He knew that this was an opportunity born from the small town, a typical "long-term investment" that couldn't be rushed.

Anyway, it's in this river, it can't run away, and maybe we'll have a chance to get closer to it in the future.

To touch it now carries far more risk than reward.

"Wuyou, let's go home." Lin Tian pulled up his son who was still playing in the water.

Lin Feng seemed a little reluctant, pointing at the river and making some noises.

"You can't catch the goldfish in the river," Lin Tian continued to tell his son with a straight face.

"That's the town's mascot. Catching it will bring bad luck. Besides, it's too small now. Let's wait until it grows up."

Lin Feng seemed to understand, but he still obediently followed his father.

Lin Tian glanced back at the calm river surface, thinking to himself, "Even the dragon cubs have emerged... Could there be a phoenix egg or a qilin cub sleeping in that big cave in the back mountain that I didn't dare to enter?"

This Hexi Town is really starting to resemble a hidden "mythical beast kindergarten".