The Time-Pressed Old Dragon King's Proposal for Universal Martial Arts

After leaving the Light of Hope, Gu Yan arrived at the hospital.

His organization was now running smoothly.

Whether Luo Ya liked it or not, she would have to accept the implantation of the Claw Cells.

Only then would Gu Yan feel completely at ease.

When he reached Bai Qionglan's hospital room, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

However...

The moment he entered,

Gu Yan's lips twitched involuntarily.

Because...

"Waaah, Ling'er-jie!! I was so scared! That person suddenly appeared and demanded some jade pendant from me!"

"Where would I even get a jade pendant?!"

"It was terrifying—I thought I was going to die!"

Bai Qionglan was curled up in Leng Ling'er's arms, sobbing dramatically.

Leng Ling'er had learned the previous night that Bai Qionglan was hospitalized at Jianghai Medical Center, so she had come early in the morning to visit.

She comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay. When I get back, I'll ask my brother-in-law to track down those bad guys!"

"Mhm! Ling'er-jie, you're the best!"

Bai Qionglan buried her face in Leng Ling'er's chest—hehe, Ling'er-jie used the body lotion I gave her today! ❤

Knock knock~

Gu Yan rapped his knuckles against the wooden doorframe and cleared his throat. "Am I interrupting something?"

"!!"

Leng Ling'er froze, then turned her head in surprise. When she saw it was Gu Yan, her face lit up. "Brother-in-law!"

"What brings you here?"

Gu Yan chuckled helplessly. "Jianghai Medical Center is owned by the Gu family. Did you really think I wouldn’t know if my little sister-in-law’s best friend was hospitalized?"

As he spoke, he walked over and took a seat nearby.

Then, he glanced at Bai Qionglan, who had already retreated from Leng Ling'er’s embrace, and asked, "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

Bai Qionglan nodded. "Yeah, yesterday..."

About ten minutes later,

Gu Yan had a rough understanding of the situation.

In short, Bai Qionglan had been attacked by a woman on her way to school.

The woman had demanded half of a jade pendant, but Bai Qionglan didn’t have one.

The spatial shockwave from the attacker’s movement had knocked Bai Qionglan and others unconscious.

In other words...

Nothing too serious.

Gu Yan nodded. "Got it."

"I’ll inform your brother about this."

At those words,

Bai Qionglan’s eyes widened. "My brother?! He’s still alive?"

"..........?"

Gu Yan slowly formed a question mark in his mind.

Wait.

Since when was her brother dead??

Bai Qionglan’s question left Gu Yan utterly speechless.

He replied, "Yes, he’s alive. He’s just busy with official duties."

Then he stood up. "Now that I’ve got the details, I’ll leave you two kids alone."

Seeing Gu Yan about to leave, Leng Ling'er pouted. "Brother-in-law, you’re leaving already? That’s way too fast!"

"Can’t help it. I’ve got things to do."

"Hmph, men!"

Gu Yan rolled his eyes.

Before leaving, he lightly patted Leng Ling'er’s shoulder.

In that instant, Claw Cells latched onto her.

At the same time, the cells split and drifted through the air, settling onto Bai Qionglan’s hair.

Now, everything was secure.

If danger arose, he could rush over immediately.

"Brother-in-law, what was that for?"

"Just giving you a pat."

Leng Ling'er: "?"

...

...

Dragon King Mountain.

The Old Dragon King lay on his bed, looking even weaker than before.

He coughed up blood and roared, "What?!"

"The half of the Dragon King Jade left with the Bai family... is gone?!"

His expression darkened.

This had to be a joke. How could it just disappear?

The Dragon King Jade was a primordial spiritual artifact, imbued with traces of cosmic law.

The dragon’s head held one half of its power, the tail the other.

The Bai family had been entrusted with the tail fragment.

And the most crucial rule tied to the tail fragment was...

It could only be transferred if its keeper willingly gave it away.

The Old Dragon King had planned everything meticulously.

He had paved the way for his vessel—Xiao Lin—to follow.

Why the Bai family?

Because they were backed by the Martial Arts Department.

Back during the siege of the Leng Family, they hadn’t participated.

That meant they were untouched by the Night King’s karma.

They were the perfect tools.

So, later,

when Xiao Lin arrived in Jianghai, he was supposed to cross paths with the Bai family’s young lady, forging a bond that would make her willingly hand over the jade.

Once the Old Dragon King possessed Xiao Lin’s body, he could resume his role as the Dragon King Palace’s master.

This was how he had operated since ancient times.

But...

this generation...

why were there so many problems?

Where was the other half? Could it have ended up with the Night King?

No, impossible. The Dragon King Palace’s control still rested with him.

That meant the two fragments hadn’t merged yet. He had to find the missing half as soon as possible!

The Old Dragon King’s voice was hoarse as he glared at Meteor, who had delivered the report. "Did you find out who the Bai family gave the jade to?"

"No such order was issued."

Idiot!

The Old Dragon King nearly choked on his own breath.

Though the Dragon King Palace’s members were formidable—each at least a grandmaster in strength—

there was a fatal flaw: none of them had independent judgment.

Damn it all.

"Search! By any means necessary, extract the jade’s whereabouts from the Bai family!"

"Understood."

Meteor left.

The Old Dragon King’s breathing gradually steadied. He then turned to Long Ning, who had been sent to capture Ning Qian.

Compared to Meteor, Long Ning’s competence was slightly more reassuring.

"Did you bring Ning Qian back?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

"Undergoing treatment."

"Treatment?!"

The Old Dragon King’s face twisted in fury. "You injured her?!"

That’s my future vessel!!

Now that she’s hurt, I’ll have to delay the possession ritual again!

"Correct. She resisted fiercely, so her injuries are severe."

Long Ning replied blankly.

The Old Dragon King sucked in a sharp breath.

He assessed his own condition.

He could hold on for another month.

Patience. He had to be patient.

The Dragon King Palace was his most crucial asset.

As long as he controlled it, he was one step closer to immortality.

Almost there...

The Old Dragon King had a premonition.

First, he would use Ning Qian’s body as a temporary vessel.

Then, he would find another Chosen One—someone with destiny rivaling Xiao Lin’s—to seize permanently.

And then...

true immortality would be within his grasp!

He needed his subordinates to hurry up and locate individuals with great fortune!

...

...

After leaving Jianghai Medical Center,

Gu Yan made a phone call.

Within moments,

Bai Jun’s hushed voice came through. "Gu Yan? What’s up?"

"Bai Jun, your sister was attacked."

"What?!"

Headquarters.

Conference room.

Bai Jun, who had been enduring a disciplinary meeting, suddenly shouted in alarm.

Everyone in the room turned to stare at him, baffled.

Seriously, dude? You’ve got guts.

Flustered, Bai Jun muttered an apology and hurried out with his phone.

"Hey, Bai Jun! Hey!"

The meeting’s chairperson called after him repeatedly.

The senior martial artists seated at the front shook their heads. "That kid has no sense of discipline!"

"Young people these days still need more training and experience."

"Enough, the meeting's outcome is already decided."

"So it's settled then?"

At the conference, faction leaders from various groups nodded in agreement.

"Right. The battles at Jianghai and the No. 5 Forbidden Zone..."

"These two major campaigns have exposed our severe shortages in both combat strength and manpower."

"Therefore..."

"I propose officially implementing nationwide martial cultivation in January!"

"In February, establish martial training academies and facilities across the country!"

"In March, launch large-scale recruitment of talented individuals for specialized martial divisions!"

"Time is tight. The creatures in the Forbidden Zones and the Night King are already lurking in the shadows, watching us."

"If we cling to outdated thinking while our forces remain insufficient, civilians will only face greater danger."

"So instead of staying passive, let’s take the initiative—turn the entire population into trained martial practitioners!"

"This way, survival rates will skyrocket!"

"Agreed."

"Sounds good. I’m in."

"Finally! I’ve been saying this for over a decade, but no one listened!"

"Tch. The past and present are completely different, aren’t they?"

"Now, regarding the management regulations post-implementation, we still need further discussion..."