Summoners were also people. As long as they were people, they would also be bogged down by worldly matters. Summoners also had to pay rent if they wanted a place to stay. Anyway, before this, Xia Ping'an was not yet a summoner.
Xia Ping'an chuckled to himself and did not pay heed to the matter of the new landlord for now. At most, the new landlord would raise the rent by a few hundred dollars. He was not too concerned about this.
After he ended the call and put down his phone, Xia Ping'an immediately went to the bathroom to take a nice, refreshing shower.
Based on what Dr. Huang said, this was the last time the baptism of divine power would excrete the impurities in his body. It was equivalent to him undergoing a metamorphosis.
In the future, even though he would still be baptized by divine power when merging with other boundary beads and his physical attributes would still increase, the impurities in his body would no longer be excreted.
After he showered, dried his hair, and changed into a set of clean clothes that he had brought along, Xia Ping'an walked out reinvigorated. He saw that Yan Duo was already sitting in the living room. He most likely returned when Xia Ping'an was showering.
"I never imagined that you would actually use four days to merge with the divine being boundary bead," Yan Duo said as he checked Xia Ping'an's complexion. He then smiled and commented, "It seems that you have successfully merged with the boundary bead."
"Hmm, I got lucky," Xia Ping'an replied. He had already packed his things as he said, "If that is all, I will return to Xianghe City."
Yan Duo did not ask about Xia Ping'an's condition after merging with the divine being boundary bead at all. He merely nodded his head and said, "We are done here. Later, I'll bring you to the provincial branch."
"Alright."
Yan Duo's expression suddenly became serious as he continued, "However, please consider my previous offer. Now, you have completed merging with the foundation establishment boundary beads and become a summoner. Yet, the summoning techniques you have mastered are very narrow in scope. You only have a few basic summoning techniques. In the future, if you wish to improve your divine power and ability as well as master more summoning techniques, you can only do so by merging with other boundary beads. I know that Director Mo is worried that I am poaching you and has definitely warned you. However, if you follow me, at least in terms of boundary beads, I can provide you with at least two a year as a baseline. If you agree to come over, I will get my hands on an Enslaved Soldier boundary bead by tomorrow for you!"
"An Enslaved Soldier boundary bead?"
"Hmm, after merging with it, you can summon an Enslaved Soldier. This Enslaved Soldier boundary bead is a favorite among summoners. The chances of failing to merge with it are less than one percent. It has the highest success rate. Once merged, aside from your fireball technique, you will have another familiar summoning slot that can be used directly in combat. Your survival rate and ability to handle emergencies will skyrocket. If you remain in Xianghe City, you might need to wait until next year before you have a chance to merge with an Enslaved Soldier boundary bead."
Xia Ping'an pondered for a moment and said, "Hmm. I will consider your suggestion. However, right now, I still want to return to Xianghe City."
"No problem. My battalion will always welcome you!" Yan Duo showed no signs of disappointment as he nodded calmly. Talent poaching was not something that could be achieved with just a few words. It was a process of building mutual trust. Yan Duo was very experienced in it, so he was very patient.
"May I ask how many types of boundary beads are there?" Xia Ping'an asked suddenly as he thought of the Secret Mind Altar that he had just successfully coalesced.
"Currently, there are more than 3,600 types of boundary beads found and recorded. The number is still increasing. However, there are only about 100 types of boundary beads that summoners come in contact with regularly. Ordinary summoners will most likely not be able to merge with more than 100 boundary beads throughout their entire lives."
"There are so many types of boundary beads?" Xia Ping'an was shocked.
"It sounds like a lot, but in reality, that's not the case. Some boundary beads are commonly seen in large quantities. Some boundary beads are rare, and ordinary summoners will never come across them."
"Have all the boundary beads been successfully merged by others before?"
"Some yes, some no, some unverified," Yan Duo concluded succinctly. "Even if some summoners managed to merge with some rare boundary beads and mastered special skills and summoning slots, they would keep it as a secret from others. Hence, it is difficult to find out information about the boundary beads."
Xia Ping'an nodded. He picked up his satchel and said, "I see. I get it now. Let's go."
...
Yan Duo drove and sent Xia Ping'an to the headquarters of Yizhou Province's National Order Council. A few minutes later, the helicopter from Xianghe City arrived.
Xia Ping'an boarded the helicopter and waved Yan Duo goodbye. The helicopter showed no sign of lingering. As soon as Xia Ping'an boarded, it flew back to Xianghe City immediately.
...
Right after the helicopter left, an old man appeared beside Yan Duo. Nobody knew how long he had been around.
The old man was hale and hearty. His hair was neat, and he was wearing a black pinstripe double-breasted suit. His leather shoes were shiny. He emanated an aura of a gentleman. Both his hands were resting on a crutch with a dragon head. With his head raised and a meaningful gaze on his face, the old man stared at the helicopter flying into the distance.
'This kid was not bad, just as reported by Madam Qian. He hid many secrets with him. Even Madam Qian couldn't manage a thorough read of him. It was a waste to let this kid remain in Xianghe City,' the old man thought as he stared at the helicopter, which was gradually becoming a dot.
As soon as this old man showed up, a fawning smile appeared on Yan Duo's handsome face. "Ehem. Old Man, I did quite well in completing the mission this time, right? Since this garbage disposal mission has been perfectly completed, will the provincial branch reward me? It's been a long time since I last saw a new boundary bead. I wonder…"
"I still have not dealt with you regarding the mistakes you made while executing the mission in Japan last time. The base in the South Pole is still short of Lighters. Should I consider transferring you to the South Pole so that you can be better trained for the next few years?" The old man's casual reply immediately hushed Yan Duo.
"I was just joking." Yan Duo's fawning smile became more servile. He even bowed a little as he said, "This was just a tiny matter. I didn't even contribute much. I don't have the nerve to ask for a reward. If you have no other orders, I shall take my leave now."
As Yan Duo said this, he was furtively moving away.
"Hmm. Before you leave, remember to drop by the Finance Department and turn in the money you won from betting in the Death Coliseum. You won around 60 million I suppose? That is the money you obtained illegally while executing the mission. It's not a bonus," the old man said nonchalantly.
"Ah! No! Old Man, I'm strapped for cash recently. I only bet a little. At least let me keep some of the money. Please consider the fact that I've been busy running errands lately. Please let me keep the money as an allowance," Yan Duo pleaded as his face turned as wrinkled as a bitter gourd.
"Is it? If you go to the South Pole, you'll not have this problem since you'll have nowhere to spend your money…"
"Nope! Alright, I will turn in the money. It's only 60 million. If it's not my hard-earned money, I'll not keep even a penny of it," Yan Duo said with a righteous tone. As he said this, he dashed away from the old man, fearful that the latter would say something else that frightened him. Yan Duo didn't dare to stay for a moment longer with the old man.
The old man gazed into the distance. His eyes glistened with excitement as he mumbled, "Among three foundation establishment boundary beads, he achieved a perfect merge with two of them. He has become a summoner with 70 points of divine power. It's been years since someone like him has appeared. Xia Ping'an, we will meet again soon."
...
An hour later, Xia Ping'an returned to the National Order Council of Xianghe City.
The helicopter landed on the helipad on top of the building. As soon as Xia Ping'an got off from the helicopter with his satchel, he saw Mo Yanshao waiting for him.
It was around 10 in the morning now. Mo Yanshao and the rest had just returned from igniting the light a few hours ago. The rest were most likely still asleep now.
"I received news that you have completed the mission nicely this time."
Mo Yanshao stared at Xia Ping'an with a strange gaze. He watched the video recording of Xia Ping'an battling with Bear Butcher. He was astonished by how exceptional the Black Cobra functioned under the maneuver of Xia Ping'an. He didn't expect Xia Ping'an to be so proficient in using a whip. In Xia Ping'an's hands, the tip of the Black Cobra steel whip was as powerful as a bullet. Its might was too terrifying.
"I merely got lucky," Xia Ping'an commented humbly. He showed no sign of being proud of his own achievement.
"Did that b*stard Yan Duo try to poach you?" Mo Yanshao asked directly.
Xia Ping'an laughed.
Mo Yanshao immediately understood what Xia Ping'an's laugh meant. He cursed under his breath. As expected, that b*st*rd Yan Duo burned the bridge as soon as he crossed it. When Mo Yanshao thought of the Requiem Banner that Xia Ping'an possessed, he was really fearful of Xia Ping'an leaving due to Yan Duo's offer.
The two of them walked towards the elevator while Mo Yanshao explained to Xia Ping'an, "Yan Duo has a team in the provincial branch. The job scope of his team is more diverse, and the missions they execute are more dangerous. Moreover, those missions aren't something ordinary summoners can handle. He probably has taken a liking to you due to your Requiem Banner. You have just become a summoner. It will be better for you to stay in the Xianghe City branch for a year or two to familiarize yourself with various tasks. You should improve your ability steadily. There's no need to rush into adventures. I have applied for new boundary beads for you from the provincial branch. If you perform well here, I am sure the provincial branch will soon issue you an Enslaved Soldier boundary bead."
Since Mo Yanshao had been so earnest with him, Xia Ping'an also expressed his intention to remain here. "Thank you, Director. I think I'm quite happy here in Xianghe City. I have no intention of leaving."
Mo Yanshao secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He said, "You have just become a summoner, so take this weekend off and have a good rest at home. Starting next Monday, you will officially join the Special Forces Unit. Xianghe City has quite some abnormalities recently, so there might be more missions after this. You'd better be prepared."
"Are we igniting the light?"
"Yup. There's some investigation to be done too."
"Alright."
"Your working permit and special equipment are ready. You can collect them from Big Zhou."
The door of the elevator opened when they reached the ninth floor. After instructing Xia Ping'an on his next step, Mo Yanshao parted ways with him.
Throughout their meeting, Mo Yanshao didn't ask Xia Ping'an about his condition after merging with the divine being boundary bead.
Was this the unspoken rule among summoners? They would not ask about someone's Secret Mind Altar or their condition after merging with a boundary bead unless the person took the initiative to reveal it.
Staring at Mo Yanshao's leaving silhouette, Xia Ping'an had a better grasp of the tacit understanding among summoners. Before this, Yan Duo also didn't ask him anything.
Xia Ping'an first returned to Room 963. He put down his satchel and hung the Black Cobra on his weapon rack. Then, he left his room and went to the armory on the seventh basement.
No one was in the supermarket at the armory, only a cute-looking robot moving around. The sound of machine running could be vaguely heard from the numerical control workshop at the back. Sparkles could be seen flying around.
Xia Ping'an didn't wait for long. After loitering around for a minute or two, he saw Big Zhou emerging from the passageway behind the supermarket. Big Zhou wore a pair of goggles, and he was removing his gloves.