Zhou Yun clutched his abdomen in pain, hunched over like a shrimp, his spine stiff from the slap he received, unable to move. Wang Xuan, fatigued, used him as a seat, resting on his shoulder.
The middle-aged man who stepped down from the aircraft wore a Tang suit; although slightly plump, he had a strong presence. Upon seeing the scene before him, his expression turned cold. He did not speak, but his sharp gaze bore down on Wang Xuan, a look most people would find difficult to withstand.
Yet, Wang Xuan ignored him, remaining seated on Zhou Yun.
A group of burly bodyguards in black followed the middle-aged man, all armed. One of them barked at Wang Xuan, "Get up!"
Wang Xuan remained silent, casually letting two fingers rest on Zhou Yun's temple. Those present were all practitioners of old techniques and understood the implications of that gesture. At Wang Xuan's level of vitality, even a subconscious movement before death could strike at a person's vital points.
"Didn't expect you to be here too; this isn't good," Zhao Qinghan said as she stepped forward.
Zhou Kun, Kong Yi, Su Chan, and others also greeted the middle-aged man politely, clearly recognizing him.
The middle-aged man turned, giving a cold glance to the bodyguards, who then retreated silently back to the aircraft.
"Wang Xuan won… and Zhou Yun is being used as a seat?" The young woman who had been sulking as she walked beside the middle-aged man suddenly seemed to snap back to reality, her expression one of disbelief. She knew very well that Zhou Yun was strong and often spoke of the extraordinary.
In the past, Zhou Yun had often expressed his grand aspirations for the new era, suggesting that the immortals could indeed make an appearance! To think that someone so ambitious, who had just begun mastering new techniques, would be defeated and used as a footstool by Wang Xuan was astonishing.
"Wang Xuan, get off me!" she shouted, glaring at him with fury.
Wang Xuan remained seated, not acknowledging her, quietly circulating the foundational techniques of the pre-Qin practitioners, gradually recovering his vigor under the faint moonlight.
The middle-aged man was surprised; although he didn't practice old techniques himself, he had seen enough to discern some subtleties. "You're quite young yet have trained in old techniques to this extent," he remarked, then gently asked Wang Xuan if he could stand and speak.
At this, Wang Xuan stood up, shaking off his fatigue, appearing even taller under the moonlight, his gaze bright and focused. Since the other party was willing to talk amicably, he had no reason to be confrontational. His previous reluctance to stand was simply a matter of asserting equality.
Qin Cheng quickly walked over to stand beside him.
The young woman who had just woken up rushed to help Zhou Yun, checking his injuries. "What should I call you?" Wang Xuan asked politely.
"My surname is Zhou; you can call me Uncle Zhou," the middle-aged man replied, scrutinizing Wang Xuan as if trying to see through him.
Wang Xuan remained calm. Even someone as imposing as Ling Wei's father hadn't intimidated him, so this slightly less formidable figure posed no pressure.
Qin Cheng nudged Zhou Kun, whispering, "Are all these people with the surname Zhou from your family?"
Zhou Kun shook his head. "Of course not. New Star is so large, not everyone with the surname Zhou is related to us. He is Ling Wei's uncle, Zhou Mingxuan."
Zhou Yun, who had just started mastering new techniques, was Zhou Mingxuan's eldest son and Ling Wei's cousin. The sulking young woman was Zhou Yun's younger sister, Zhou Ting.
Zhou Mingxuan stared at Wang Xuan for three whole minutes, his own body stiffening slightly before he finally smiled helplessly. "Youth is a wonderful thing. I've heard your name for a while now, and seeing you in person, I find you quite impressive," he said with a nod.
Wang Xuan smiled in return, realizing that such compliments were just polite remarks.
"Uncle Zhou, what brings you here today?" Su Chan inquired, representing the slight displeasure among the crowd. After all, this was their classmates' gathering, and Zhou Yun's interruption was unwelcome, even if many knew the reasons behind it.
Zhou Mingxuan sighed, "It's all for Zhou Yun. I came specifically to find him. Just because he has grasped a bit of new technique, he seems to think he can take on the world. He's fought with dozens of people over the past few days, searching for opponents. Once I learned he was here, I rushed to catch him. I can't let him run around for half a year without being taught a lesson!"
In the distance, Zhou Yun remained stiff.
Zhou Ting rolled her eyes. Although Zhou Yun had sought out trouble with Wang Xuan, her father had thought that Zhou Yun would probably injure Wang Xuan and planned for her to apologize on his behalf afterward to maintain their family's image.
"Uncle Zhou, what brings you to the Old Earth?" Kong Yi asked.
"Mainly for business reasons, and I wanted to check on Ling Wei's parents," Zhou Mingxuan casually replied.
"I heard Ling Wei say her parents are coming over in a couple of days," Zhao Qinghan added, seemingly indifferent.
"Oh, yes, they will be coming to personally pick her up and won't be traveling with you," Zhou Mingxuan confirmed.
Zhao Qinghan's clear, bright eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Uncle Zhou, are there any discoveries in the Old Earth that the Zhou family and the Ling family are involved in, prompting everyone to come over?"
Zhou Mingxuan chuckled, "You're quite the imaginative girl; you connect the dots too well. But this time, there's nothing of the sort. It's just business interactions in the Deep Space. You know both our families have substantial business interests here."
He continued, "What else is there in the Old Earth? We can't find the graves of the immortals, and the ancient tombs of the pre-Qin practitioners have all been dug up. The underground is empty, devoid of anything. Now, those powerful organizations, influential forces, and countries are all focusing on the Deep Space, where they've discovered things of greater value than what we have here."
Then he fell silent, realizing there were still some students from the Old Earth present.
Turning back to Wang Xuan with a kind demeanor, he said, "I heard you are quite invested in old techniques and working hard to train. Would you mind demonstrating a bit for me? When I was young, I saw a master who could punch through steel. I'd like to see if you have that kind of determination. If you possess his kind of aura, I won't leave without giving you a text."
"This middle-aged uncle is quite generous," Qin Cheng whispered.
Wang Xuan smiled. "I certainly can't compare to the elder you mentioned; this is just a bit of personal amusement."
"You're too humble. How about this—you demonstrate for me, but let's find someone to spar with. And don't misunderstand, I don't mean for you to fight another match," Zhou Mingxuan explained. "Let's get the most ordinary robot; it can only defend passively. You can attack as you please to showcase your techniques."
Wang Xuan chuckled, "I'm too exhausted today to perform, so I'll pass on the opportunity to show off."
Zhou Mingxuan was about to say something when Zhou Yun called out to him. He smiled at Wang Xuan, then walked toward Zhou Yun.
Qin Cheng quietly said, "Someone like him must have valuable texts. Just throw a few punches; no matter his intentions, just get that manuscript first."
Wang Xuan replied, "Do you think that after just defeating his son, he would gift me a pre-Qin secret text? Even if he offered an old technique, it probably wouldn't be of much use. Besides, he's Ling Wei's uncle, aligned with her father's interests. Why would he go out of his way to care about me?"
He added, "This man has a lot on his mind."
"How so?" Qin Cheng asked.
"He's practicing gentle oversight, giving you an opportunity under the guise of a benevolent elder, but in reality, he's subtly putting you down while pretending to converse. Are there any robots here? Besides Zhao Qinghan's kind of mechanical ones, I suspect the only other ones are the housekeeping robots in the Zhou family's airship rooms. Am I going to fight a cleaning robot to earn a manuscript, only to realize afterward that I'm on a completely different level from them?"
Qin Cheng felt a chill run down his spine and finally sighed, "This middle-aged man is much more formidable than his son; I might not be able to handle him. Next time I see him… I'll just fight his son again!"
Nearby, Su Chang and Zhao Qinghan burst into laughter at his last remark.
Wang Xuan called out to the distance, "Uncle Zhou, I'm quite exhausted today and can't perform for you. Thank you for the offer of the text."
Zhou Mingxuan's expression faltered slightly, then he smiled amiably and said, "No problem; I'll look forward to seeing you showcase your extraordinary old techniques next time."
He waved his hand, signaling someone to retrieve the old technique manuscript from the aircraft.
Qin Cheng stared blankly for a moment before suddenly turning to Wang Xuan, exclaiming, "Old Wang, you're impressive! You really pulled off an empty-handed trick; that's the way to go—never turn down an opportunity!"
Zhou Mingxuan approached personally, smiling gently as he handed Wang Xuan an old paper book. "Young man, you're quite good, but unfortunately, you weren't chosen this time. However, since you're staying in the Old Soil, focus on developing here and strive to make a name for yourself in old techniques."
After saying this, he turned and left with Zhou Yun and Zhou Ting, boarding the small aircraft and disappearing into the night sky.
"We should go too," Wang Xuan said to Qin Cheng.
Zhou Kun spoke up, "Aren't you going to wait for Ling Wei? I estimate she was probably stopped by her uncle earlier and should arrive shortly."
Wang Xuan shook his head helplessly, "I've said several times that there's really nothing between us now. We've been apart for over a year, and you've all seen her family's attitude. It's best for us to go our separate ways from here on."