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nA look of appreciation flashed through Lu Xuan’s eyes. This man was still thinking logically and knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

nHe was part of the group that came to kill Lu Xuan, and he deserved to die in return. If Lu Xuan were going to spare him, it would naturally come at a heavy price.

n“It’s very simple. From today onwards, you will serve me!” Lu Xuan said lightly.

n“You actually want me to become your servant?” For a moment, Zhang Hongyang struggled to catch his breath.

nHe was a formidable level six Mental Strength master and was even more esteemed than a master of the Martial Way at the same level. No matter where he went, he would be treated as an honored guest, yet now he was asked to become a lowly servant.

nThe key factor here was that from Lu Xuan’s countenance, he clearly believed Zhang Hongyang would be a fool not to accept such a great offer.

nIt was as though he thought nothing of him.

nIt made him want to vomit blood, as Lu Xuan was essentially trampling his pride underfoot, viciously stamping it into the ground.

nHowever, he was unaware that in Lu Xuan’s eyes, even he was not at all qualified for the job. In his past life, when Lu Xuan was a Celestial Lord, the servants he took under his wing were all supreme powers that could conquer galaxies.

nSmall fries like Zhang Hongyang were a dime a dozen in his past life, practically a nonentity, and totally unqualified to serve him.

nIn his past life, he just needed to say the word, and countless superpowers would offer themselves up as servants.

nStill, the circumstances were different from before now, so Lu Xuan just had to make do with what he had.

nThe reason he chose Zhang Hongyang was for his abilities.

nAlthough Zhang Hongyang’s abilities were lightyears away from Lu Xuan’s, among cultivators of this era, he could be considered one of the stronger ones.

nLu Xuan could not be watching over his parents 24

/7, but the threat from the Luo family was like a thorn in his side.

nFinding someone else to keep guard on Lu Xuan’s behalf was, without a doubt, the most effective method moving forward.

nZhang Hongyang had sufficient strength for this task, which is why Lu Xuan was willing to offer him this opportunity.

n“That’s right. This is the only chance you’ll get to stay alive. Otherwise, did you think you could try to kill me and leave here with your life?” Lu Xuan said mercilessly, as his hand went to his sword.

nZhang Hongyang felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He was certain that if he rejected the offer, Lu Xuan would lop off his head in a single strike, just like how he cut down Luo Yongnian.

nLu Xuan’s words had a kind of indifference that was deeply ingrained in him, and Zhang Hongyang could not imagine how many people he must have killed to develop such a fearsome mannerism.

nThough Zhang Hongyang had the blood of many on his hands, compared to the imposing air that Lu Xuan had developed, he was just a nobody.

nOn the one hand, he could lose his dignity and become someone else’s servant. On the other hand, he could immediately lose his life. He hesitated. He struggled.

nThen after one second, he had made his choice.

n“I accept, and I pay my respects to Young Master!”

nZhang Hongyang chose the former option at once. This was no laughing matter. Even if he would lose all his dignity, compared to the weight of his own life, what did it matter?

nAs the saying went, “out of a thousand tribulations, death is the worst!”

nChoosing to live would always be better than choosing death.

nGoing deeper, the primary reason for accepting the offer was that Lu Xuan’s strength had completely subdued Zhang Hongyang. He now understood what it meant when people said, “no matter how good you are, there is always someone better than you.”

nNot even considering the terrifying powers at higher levels, even Lu Xuan, who was at the same level as them, could crush them as easily as crushing a bug.

nMoreover, Lu Xuan looked very young and was probably not even 20. His future was ripe with limitless potential.

nHe had already reached the limits of his cultivation, mastering all the classics of his sect. It would not be an exaggeration to say he was the strongest cultivator his sect had produced in a hundred years, and he had been hailed as a prodigy.

nIf nothing out of the ordinary happened, his outlook for the future was bleak. Especially now that the New Era was approaching, he did not even have a way to cultivate in the future.

nHe was currently still considered as one of the strong, but he would gradually be overtaken in the future.

nHe was keenly aware of this fact, which was why he wanted to find a powerful backer, to ride on their coattails.

nWith Lu Xuan’s outstanding abilities, he completely fit the bill.

n“Very good. As they say, ‘a great man understands the times’!” Lu Xuan nodded in satisfaction. “However, from now on, you have to follow me faithfully!”

n“Say the word, Young Master, and your servant will go to the ends of the earth for you!” Zhang Hongyang hurriedly replied.

nLu Xuan nodded, pleased with the answer. He then took out a talisman from his backpack, biting his finger and writing out a master-servant contract in blood.

nOnce Zhang Hongyang completed this contract, he would be placing his life in Lu Xuan’s hands.

n“Bite your finger and complete the blood contract!” Lu Xuan commanded.

nZhang Hongyang felt slightly hesitant, but he did not delay, biting his finger at once and pressing it down on the talisman.

nThe instant he pressed down on the talisman, it flew into the air, disintegrating into ash. However, he could feel a vague sensation in the depths of his soul, like he had been marked.

nThe mark belonged to Lu Xuan. If he willed it, he could use it to immediately detonate Zhang Hongyang’s spirit and kill him on the spot. No matter how far Zhang Hongyang was, even if he tried to hide in the remote corners of the world, he would not be able to get away.

nThere was no way to defend himself from the mark.

nHis life now was quite literally at the mercy of Lu Xuan.

nHe understood the consequences, and even though he did not know how Lu Xuan accomplished this, he had to accept that this was his new lot in life.

nZhang Hongyang had been completely backed into a corner, so even though he had just signed a binding blood contract, he heaved a huge sigh of relief because he knew he was safe for the moment.

nLu Xuan would not casually kill him.

n“Very good!”

nLu Xuan nodded his head. He did not believe in verbal promises, as he had been betrayed too many times in his past life. He only trusted the master-servant contract.

nWith this contract in place, Zhang Hongyang would not be able to betray him, and even the thought of treachery would bring him intense pain, enough to kill a man.

nThe contract was something Lu Xuan had devised through his myriad experiences in his past life.

n“Now that you have thrown in your lot with me, you’re one of us now, and naturally, I won’t treat you badly. You must remember this mantra carefully!”

nLu Xuan poked Zhang Hongyang on the forehead, and instantly Zhang Hongyang felt a rush of Mental Strength entering his mind through Lu Xuan’s finger.

nAt the same time, a mantra mysteriously surfaced in his mind.

nHe was shaken to his core. Was this the legendary empowerment technique?

nEven as a master in Mental Strength, he knew how difficult it was to perform an empowerment, and thought it was practically impossible.

nOne would need to have vast stores of Mental Strength, and more importantly, a complete mastery of how to utilize one’s Mental Strength.

nHowever, he did not have the time to think about it, as he was instantly overjoyed at seeing the mantra. It was a mantra for leveling up, which was exactly what he needed.

nThe mantra explained how to break into the next level and become a National Guardian level master.

nOnce he was able to condense his Mental Strength and transform it into physical objects, he would be able to proceed to make a breakthrough, becoming a level seven National Guardian level master.

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