Chapter 354 Survival and Glory

Li Tianlan glanced at Zhuang Huayang.

His eyes were aloof, which made him seem polite.

“It’s Tiannan,” he whispered.

…

Zhuang Huayang couldn’t say anything at all for a moment. It was too late to say anything now.

The establishment of the Special Warfare Headquarters, the transfer of Ning Zhiyuan, and the handover of the Blood Battalion.

Under such circumstances, Li Tianlan would be likened to a dragon soaring up into the sky once he went to Tiannan.

Zhuang Huayang was convinced and even awed by the person behind the scenes.

The technique of gathering the general trend of Zhongzhou State in Tiannan alone was both grand and exquisite to the extreme.

When Zhongzhou State was in chaos, that person calmly put a piece in Tiannan. It seemed a bit unreasonable, but it brought the whole chessboard to life.

What convinced Zhuang Huayang most was that there was not the slightest sign of any design at all. The simultaneous operations of several major power groups inadvertently created a situation that no one had ever imagined. After the Youzhou Conference, the Li family staged a comeback, and all eyes were on the northeast and southeast. Some guarded against the Li family, and some counted their gains. The situation in Tiannan was obvious, but because everything seemed so natural, no one had yet realized it.

The most easily overlooked was often the most obvious.

Like the sunlight during the day.

Like the stars at night.

Zhuang Huayang did not know how many preparations the person behind the scenes had made for such a masterstroke. But that person’s actions would not have had the shocking effect they did today if he or she had not been so well informed about the situation in Zhongzhou State.

“When on earth did it all start?” Zhuang Huayang thought quietly.

…

The general trend of Tiannan and the change of several sensitive positions were the results of the internal operations of the Wang family of Beihai, the Prince Group, and the Giant Group.

The Youzhou Conference, Lin’an, and the northeast indeed caught everyone’s eye.

So nobody noticed Tiannan for the time being, which seemed to make sense and yet hard to understand.

After all, Li Tianlan—the only genius in Martial Arts in Zhongzhou State for decades, was here. All these changes revolved around him, the core figure.

How could he be ignored?

For anyone, to ignore such a genius in Martial Arts was…

Ignore?

Ignore!

Zhuang Huayang’s brain slowed down for a moment.

He looked at Li Tianlan’s calm face.

The very thought brought Zhuang Huayang out in a cold sweat.

Ignore Li Tianlan?

No one could be so stupid. Even if they were, they wouldn’t be that silly since he came back.

Zhuang Huayang never ignored Li Tianlan.

Li Tianlan was a genius in Martial Arts…

But until this moment, Zhuang Huayang suddenly discovered that the label of Li Tianlan in his mind turned out to be only a genius in Martial Arts.

It was the only impression he had of Li Tianlan!

Li Tianlan did a lot, but he seemed to have done nothing.

With his strength and status, he couldn’t do anything at all right now.

In the final battle of Heaven Capital, he was a pawn of Zhongzhou State.

In the process of the Li family’s return to the peak, he was like a pawn of the Li family.

He was so pure and sober. He had been quietly improving his strength.

He actually hadn’t thought of anything, or at least he hadn’t shown it.

Why did the Li family suddenly collapse in those days?

Did the Wang family of Beihai do something under the table?

What resources did Kunlun City use in its plan in those days?

Would these resources become clues?

What was the truth about Li Kuangtu’s treason?

If Zhuang Huayang put himself in Li Tianlan’s shoes, he must consider this series of questions. But from beginning to end, Li Tianlan didn’t even care about them!

He knew nothing about the past and did not explore it. Instead, he was pure and focused on improving his strength, waiting for the opportunity to take the real first step.

His behavior was so obvious that it even became his label in people’s eyes.

…

Zhuang Huayang finally knew why the mighty Wang family of Beihai and the careful Kunlun City ignored Tiannan.

Their eyes were indeed on the northeast and Jiangzhe but also on Li Tianlan.

Li Tianlan acted like he was merely trying to improve his strength.

And what they were concerned about was Li Tianlan himself.

As a result, they ended up making such a huge mistake and ignoring Tiannan.

Zhuang Huayang felt a bit cold inside.

He didn’t know whether Li Tianlan did all this intentionally or unintentionally.

If the answer was yes, it meant that he was willing to be a chess piece to catch everyone’s eye in the purest fashion. He remained dormant in this way, which proved how scheming he was.

The corners of Zhuang Huayang’s mouth kept twitching.

He wanted to say a lot at this moment. But somehow, he couldn’t say anything.

“It’s almost time.”

Li Tianlan looked down at his watch.

2:20 p.m.

Gu Xingyun would hold a symposium at 3 p.m. in the conference room of the Sky Academy, about fifteen minutes away.

He nodded to Zhuang Huayang and looked at Dongcheng Rushi and Du Hanyin. Then he said calmly, “Let’s hit the road.”

“Tianlan.”

Zhuang Huayang took a deep breath and suddenly called him.

Li Tianlan turned to look at him.

“What’s your plan?”

Zhuang Huayang’s tone was bitter as he asked.

The final maneuver of the two academies was a grand event of the Zhongzhou Special Warfare System.

Kunlun City had the most dominant power.

However, as the current ruling group of Zhongzhou State, if the Academics stood up for its ally, it could at least win Li Tianlan more living space and show him its sincerity, even if it could not change the sequence of the contents of the maneuver.

But instead of doing so, the Leading Cadre chose silence and acquiescence.

Li Tianlan remained an ally of the Academics.

But this subtle change began after Li Tianlan built closer ties with the Giant Group.

The Academics hoped that Li Tianlan could have a relationship with the Giant Group, but it didn’t want them to be too close. The Li Tianlan, who lived largely on the Academics, was far more in line with the interests of the Academics than the Li Tianlan, who was adept in dealing with both the two groups.

However, Zou Yuanshan went to Jiangzhe, which indicated the explicit announcement of the Giant Group to the outside world that they would create their core team with Li Tianlan at its core for the next decades. The Academics could only exert pressure on Li Tianlan and the Giant Group through this opportunity. In such a state, Li Tianlan was an ally of the Academics, but he was more like a pawn for the Academics to claim interests from the Giant Group.

The most crucial was that Li Tianlan himself was willing to be a pawn of the Li family, but he was not necessarily willing to be the pawn of the Academics. The situation in Tiannan was becoming clearer and clearer nowadays. Li Tianlan’s future was promising. He was the most powerful ally of the Academics in the future, but in the following final maneuver, he would face a very embarrassing situation.

Zhuang Huayang truly wanted to know what Li Tianlan was up to.

“Rushi and Hanyin will give up taking part in the maneuver.”

Li Tianlan added calmly, “I’m going to participate in the final maneuver and their so-called team battle myself.”

“Yourself?!”

Zhuang Huayang’s face changed dramatically.

“I won’t lose,” Li Tianlan said flatly.

…

Zhuang Huayang smiled bitterly once again.

The Academics had already made a move, and the key was to see if Dongcheng Wudi was willing to break the rules for Li Tianlan. If Dongcheng Rushi participated in the maneuver, Dongcheng Wudi was undoubtedly more likely to take action for the sake of his daughter. But if Dongcheng Rushi gave up participating in the maneuver…

One was the responsibility for the Border Control Corps, and the other was Li Tianlan, what choice would Dongcheng Wudi make?

If he chose to abandon Li Tianlan, this maneuver would be a dead end for Li Tianlan.

If Li Tianlan lost, he would die.

If he won, he would die too.

If Li Tianlan could survive the joint attacks from so many talents, Kunlun City and the Wang family of Beihai would undoubtedly kill the threat as soon as possible at any cost.

Maybe it was an opportunity for the Academics?

But if the Giant Group forsook Li Tianlan, would the big potatoes in the Academics offend the Wang family of Beihai and Kunlun City for Li Tianlan? Who was willing to bear that kind of pressure?

Zhuang Huayang had a splitting headache. He took a deep breath, patted Li Tianlan on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice, “I’ll call the Leading Cadre right away.”

Li Tianlan turned and walked out of the ward with a smile.

…

The conference room of the Sky Academy was large. It had a pale white environment, simple and spacious.

When Li Tianlan walked into the conference room with Dongcheng Rushi and Du Hanyin fifteen minutes in advance, Gu Xingyun was already sitting on the host seat in the conference room.

Gu Qianchuan, who once served as a real-power marshal of Zhongzhou State and now had nothing but a nominal title after the dissolution of the Snowdance Corps, stood quietly beside Gu Xingyun, his expression indifferent.

The fresh sunshine after the rain gently shed on the host seat in the conference room.

The two experts of the Invincible Realm in Zhongzhou State, one standing and the other sitting, were bathed in the sunshine as if they were clothed in gold.

There were already a lot of people in the conference room.

Gu Xingyun’s symposium was held for the best young people in both academies. To be precise, they were people of senior positions who had clear teams and served as the core persons in their respective teams or first-rate experts who had powerful individual strength.

Li Tianlan had read the materials and found that there were nearly 30 power groups in the two academies, about 750 members in all. Normally, this would be the total number of people who would join in the cooperative maneuver.

There had been cases of individuals saving their companions’ lives to participate in group maneuvers, but such things were uncommon. In the final maneuver, where casualty rate was at least 30 percent, individuals facing teams were risking their lives or giving away credits freely. According to the rules of both academies, the final maneuver was important, but credits valued more. Therefore, the maneuver may seem like a contest of strength, but the tricks in it acted as a test for participants’ minds. How to bring out their strengths to make up for their weaknesses, strive for as many credits as possible, and improve their rankings were something every student thought about.

Almost all eyes were focused on Li Tianlan and his two companions the moment they walked into the conference room.

Most people had a strange look in their eyes.

Wang Shengxiao and Song Ci were sitting in the middle. When Wang Shengxiao saw Li Tianlan come in, he waved his hand with a smile as a greeting and seemed very friendly.

Gu Hanshan, the Young Master of Kunlun City, and Gu Youlan, the last disciple of Gu Qianchuan, were sitting together. They were almost sitting next to Wang Shengxiao and Song Ci. Gu Youlan, whose face was somewhat pale, was still wearing a mask. She snuggled up to Gu Hanshan, like a timid and lovable little woman.

Jiang Shangyu sat on the other side of Gu Hanshan.

Before Li Tianlan came in, the few young super experts in Zhongzhou State had been huddling together and whispering. It didn’t matter what they said.

What mattered was that they gave him a clear enough signal. And that was enough.

With a poker face, Li Tianlan chose a random chair and sat down, quietly waiting for the meeting to begin.

Time passed slowly.

At three o’clock sharp, the clock struck in the office.

Gu Xingyun, who had been sitting on the host seat with his eyes closed, opened his eyes. He glanced around, and a smile broke out on his refined and elegant face.

“Everyone is here.”

“Let’s begin,” Gu Xingyun said.

Li Tianlan froze and narrowed his eyes subconsciously.

Everyone was here?

Sitting next to him were Du Hanyin and Dongcheng Rushi—celebrities from both academies. The two had introduced each of the main characters present to Li Tianlan before the meeting began.

The conference room was large and crowded, but it was far from having everyone here.

There were about 30 power groups in the two academies that had not been dissolved over the past three years.

But Du Hanyin and Dongcheng Rushi introduced too few people.

Five from the Sky Academy.

Seven from the Deep-sea Academy.

That also included the East Emperor Palace, Three Thousand World, Phantom Palace, and Jilei Mountain.

That was to say, half of the younger power groups in the two academies were not present at the time.

But Gu Xingyun said everyone was here.

Li Tianlan didn’t believe that Gu Xingyun would make a mistake in such a matter.

So that only proved one thing.

More than half of the power groups in both academies chose to give up participating in the team maneuver this time for various reasons.

Both academies allowed students to give up participating in the team maneuver.

But they would be at the risk of getting some of their credits deducted if they did so.

So it was not an easy decision to make.

Even so, more than half of the power groups still chose to do so. What did that mean?

Li Tianlan calmly observed everyone in the conference room.

There were 12 power groups present at this time, apart from the East Emperor Palace, Phantom Palace, Three Thousand World, and Jilei Mountain.

Undoubtedly, these were the power groups following the lead of Wang Shengxiao and Gu Hanshan.

The rules set by Kunlun City seemed to be ordinary except for the increase in the casualty rate.

In fact, the team maneuver, which used to be put in the middle or in the end as the grand finale, had become a simple and brutal siege along with the adjustment of the sequence.

Li Tianlan was the target of everyone.

He was even the sole target.

Kunlun City and the Wang family of Beihai made it clear that they wouldn’t give Li Tianlan a chance.

Li Tianlan glanced at Gu Xingyun and Gu Qianchuan.

Gu Xingyun didn’t spare him a glance.

However, Gu Qianchuan’s eyes were always on Li Tianlan. His eyes were ferocious and vicious, with intense killing intent.

As Gu Qianchuan’s eyes met Li Tianlan’s gaze, the corners of his mouth lifted, revealing a disdainful sneer.

Li Tianlan lowered his head again and stayed calm.

Gu Xingyun smiled again.

His injury was indeed severe, his breath short and heavy. Even if he tried to hide that, he couldn’t do that perfectly.

Li Tianlan glanced at him and looked down again.

“I personally agree with the proposals of some of the teams who, for various reasons, eventually applied to give up taking part in the team maneuver. So the participants of the team combat on the first day of the maneuver will probably be everyone here, as well as your teams.”

Gu Xingyun took a deep breath and continued, “This year’s team maneuver is special. After careful consideration, Kunlun City has decided to increase the casualty rate of this maneuver. But correspondingly, the credits that participants will obtain will increase. The casualty rate increases by 20%. Therefore, the credits gained will increase by 50% according to the previous standard. As a result, the bitter competition between you is destined. I’m officially asking, is there anyone present who would like to withdraw from the maneuver?”

Silence.

In the silence, a crisp voice sounded.

“I quit.”

Hmm? What?

It caused uproar!

Everyone turned to look at Dongcheng Rushi in disbelief.

Dongcheng Rushi…

Li Tianlan’s fiancée quit?!

Had Li Tianlan fallen out with the Giant Group?

Gu Xingyun started. He didn’t even hide the surprise in his eyes.

Dongcheng Rushi withdrawing from the maneuver meant that the Giant Group was a little less likely to meddle in the maneuver. He had every reason to feel surprised.

“Miss Dongcheng, are you sure?” Gu Xingyun asked, trying to keep his voice soft.

…

Dongcheng Rushi glanced at Gu Xingyun, nodded, stood up, and went straight out.

It was as if she had come to announce the news.

“Me too.”

Du Hanyin also got up and followed Dongcheng Rushi out of the conference room.

Everyone’s brain was buzzing. They couldn’t fully understand what was going on for a while.

Opposite Li Tianlan, Wang Shengxiao narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Song Ci.

Song Ci did not look at Wang Shengxiao but kept her head down.

Wang Shengxiao’s eyes were still gentle, but the light in them grew stern.

At an absolute disadvantage, Li Tianlan didn’t want to implicate his woman and sent Dongcheng Rushi out of the maneuver.

Wang Shengxiao had the absolute advantage. Why would he risk his woman?

He looked at Song Ci without blinking.

Then, in the midst of all the astonishment, another unexpected sound rang out.

“I… I quit!”

Song Ci gritted her teeth, her voice helpless, and then she gave Wang Shengxiao a black look.

Wang Shengxiao smiled and touched Song Ci’s hair.

It was the men’s war. Li Tianlan didn’t want to risk his woman. As the heir of the Wang family of Beihai, he had no reason to lose to Li Tianlan in boldness.

All eyes began to shift and finally fell on Gu Hanshan.

They were doomed to fight at close quarters at the risk of their lives in this team maneuver.

Both Li Tianlan and Wang Shengxiao sent their women out of the maneuver to ensure their safety.

What about Gu Hanshan?

The muscles on Gu Hanshan’s face gave a violent twitch. His face was impassive, and he said nothing.

Gu Youlan snuggled up to Gu Hanshan and remained silent.

In silence, the eyes of Li Tianlan and Wang Shengxiao seemed to converge intentionally or unintentionally for a moment. Both of them saw a hint of sarcasm in each other’s eyes.

“Anyone else wants to quit?” Gu Xingyun asked.

…

No one spoke.

This time, everyone chose to stay.

Gu Xingyun glanced at Gu Hanshan, and there was a dull flash of light in his eyes. His voice remained calm. “Very well. Now that you accept the maneuver, let me introduce the rules. The specific task of the maneuver will be informed to you the day before the maneuver. You guys, although the competition is fierce, I hope that you can show as much mercy to your opponents as possible because they’re not the enemy, and it’s just a maneuver.”

In his shoes, these were what he must say.

They, including the so-called rules explained by Gu Xingyun, were nonsense.

…

In fact, today, Gu Hanshan and Wang Shengxiao sat together, indicating that they would go through thick and thin together, was the main actual content.

The actual content didn’t need to be explained.

It was originally here.

It was to put pressure on Li Tianlan and to strengthen the confidence of the young power groups following the Wang family of Beihai and Kunlun City.

That was what it really meant.

Li Tianlan listened quietly to Gu Xingyun’s nonsense, feeling a little bored.

The nonsense was unexpectedly long.

The meeting that began at three o ‘clock did not end until half-past four.

No one had any objection to such rules of the maneuver.

So Gu Xingyun declared that the meeting closed.

The young elite who attended the meeting left one after another. Everyone gave Li Tianlan a meaningful look before they left.

Sitting alone in his seat, Li Tianlan was a real loner surrounded by bitter hostility from all directions.

He smiled suddenly, shot Gu Xingyun a glance again, and got up to leave.

“Stop.”

A voice suddenly sounded behind him, calm and confident, almost commanding.

Li Tianlan turned calmly.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, squinting.

…

Gu Hanshan, who had never had any exchanges with Li Tianlan, came up to him.

He looked into Li Tianlan’s eyes carefully.

The two looked each other up and down.

“What do you think is more important, survival or glory?”

“If it were you, what would you value most?” asked Gu Hanshan suddenly.

No one could have imagined that Gu Hanshan would ask such a profound and yet plain question in the first sentence.

Li Tianlan kept his countenance.

He could feel that the eyes of the two Invincible Realm experts of Kunlun City were focused on him at this moment.

He suddenly smiled and calmly said, “The stance of being a friend or a foe is the most important.”

“I think the master-servant relationship is the most important.”

Gu Hanshan had a faint but dangerous smile on his face. His face was ordinary, but there was ineffable strength in it now. “I am willing to give you a chance. Be my dog, and I can give you the right to live and the chance to chew the bones. What do you think?”

Gu Hanshan sounded very generous.

“Don’t be unappreciative.”

“If you want to live, this is your last chance. If you fail to appreciate my kindness, I promise you’ll regret it,” he spoke unhurriedly and softly.

Only those who had learned about the past of the Li family and Kunlun City could understand what Gu Hanshan meant.

The Gu family had a long history too. Twenty years ago, there was no Special Warfare Group in Zhongzhou State.

At that time, there were only five groups in Zhongzhou State.

Back then, the Gu family was regarded by many as the running dog at the Li family’s feet or that of the Southeast Group. It could only work behind the scenes.

Gu Hanshan was undoubtedly proud.

He didn’t want to admit the disgraceful history of the Gu family but would like the heir of the Li family to prostrate himself at his feet and be his dog.

Wang Shengxiao heard what he said.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to say something, but he held it back forcibly.

To make Li Tianlan a dog?

Perhaps Gu Hanshan was the only one in the whole Dark World with that kind of “boldness”. Probably even Gu Xingyun did not have such an idea.

Wang Shengxiao knew very well that even his father Wang Tianzong had tired to court Li Tianlan.

As long as Li Tianlan agreed to join the Wang family of Beihai, he would enjoy the same status as him—the heir of the Wang family of Beihai, in the future.

It was not just sincerity but also respect for Li Tianlan’s potential.

Now, however, Gu Hanshan asked Li Tianlan to be his dog.

He was genuinely “bold” and “cute”.

Li Tianlan’s facial expression remained unchanged.

He looked at Gu Hanshan and said what Wang Shengxiao wanted to say straightforwardly.

“Are you stupid?” he looked at Gu Hanshan and asked seriously.

…

“What did you say?”

Gu Hanshan’s face was cold.

“I said you were stupid.”

Li Tianlan chuckled. “Young Master of Kunlun City, are you so awesome? Do you really think you’re somebody?”

“You are risking your life by offending me so much.”

Gu Hanshan smiled gloomy, his eyes cold.

“I don’t really think you’re somebody.”

Li Tianlan added flatly, “In a dangerous situation, I will keep my woman away from danger. Wang Shengxiao will do the same thing too. What about you?”

He glanced at Gu Youlan and said mockingly, “In a dangerous situation, your woman, in my eyes, might be a role to set traps for the enemy. She’s still hurt, right? On this alone, you are far inferior to Wang Shengxiao and me. When we pursue advance in Martial Arts, we practice Sword Energy ad condense sword intent. As a man, you have no broad mind or bearing. Even if you possess 10 Heavenly King Hearts, you’re completely useless!”

Gu Hanshan’s face did not change a bit, but his voice grew colder. “Good, very good.”

Li Tianlan smiled.

What he said was the truth.

When he entered the secular world three years ago, he attached importance to Gu Hanshan, who owned the Heavenly King Heart, because the latter’s realm was much higher than his.

But in terms of Martial Arts, he really didn’t think much of the heir of Kunlun City.

The Gu family was once a low-key dog who overthrew the Li family and became a family of Gods of War in Zhongzhou State. Its rise and fall or honor and disgrace came too abruptly. It was deficient in history and culture and was a real upstart.

Gu Hanshan’s status was high, but the humiliation of being a dog of the Li family was the history that he could not forget, at least now. In such a state, even if he had the Heavenly King Heart, there must be something wrong with his state of mind. In Li Tianlan’s eyes, not to mention Wang Shengxiao, even Jiang Shangyu had a higher ranking than Gu Hanshan among his future opponents in the younger generation of Zhongzhou State.

“It’s not good for young people to be proud and arrogant.”

Gu Xingyun’s voice suddenly sounded. He slowly walked over and looked at Li Tianlan with a faint smile. “Tianlan, no one doubts your potential. But potential doesn’t mean battle strength. I’ve seen a lot of geniuses who have incredible potential but die young.”

Li Tianlan said in an insipid tone, “Hmm. Your Highness is experienced and knowledgeable. No wonder you can cultivate such an excellent successor. I truly admire you.”

Gu Xingyun was not angry at all, and his smile became gentler. “Hanshan is young. He indeed has many shortcomings, but they don’t affect the whole. He is, however, right about one thing; it’s significant to understand the times and appreciate favors. You’re not good enough at that.”

“If I’m good at that, am I going to be his dog?”

Li Tianlan laughed and suddenly thought of something. “I heard that a strongman once killed an Invincible Realm expert in Kunlun City for a dog? I wonder if that’s true.”

Gu Xingyun’s smile slowly died away.

“Tianlan, are you humiliating Kunlun City?” he asked, looking at Li Tianlan expressionlessly.

“I dare not do that.”

“It’s just a casual question.” Li Tianlan laughed.

“You don’t need to remind me of anything ambiguously and sarcastically.”

Gu Xingyun continued indifferently, “It’s true that the Gu family had depended on the Li family for a living, but it was just necessary forbearance. The Gu family is the ultimate winner. As for the Li family, no matter how glorious it was, it has fallen.”

He took a step closer to Li Tianlan, chuckling, but his voice was cold. “I can tell you unequivocally that as long as I’m alive, there’s no way the Li family will ever rise again. You don’t want to be a dog? Very good, then be a nonentity for a lifetime.”

He paused, chuckling, and his voice became lower and lower. “How’s Li Honghe—the old dog, now? If Situ Cangyue hadn’t stopped me, your grandfather would be dead now. Oh, but it doesn’t matter. Last time, he fell from the Invincible Realm, and it was like breaking his dog teeth. When I get better, I can go to Lin’an again and break his dog legs. It wouldn’t be hard for me to kill him.”

Li Tianlan quietly looked at Gu Xingyun.

He was neither angry nor flustered.

There was only purity in his eyes.

“I won’t let it go like that.”

He suddenly smiled.

In front of Gu Xingyun, he bent down and took off his shoes and socks.

Facing his puzzled look, Li Tianlan stepped on the ground with bare feet and smiled softly. “Do you have teeth?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep