"Are you certain you wish to follow me?" Jiang Chen furrowed his brow as he looked at Jiang Linglong, who was kneeling on one knee.
He was still weighing his options. Although he had no need to fear anyone within his own Invincible Domain, his domain only had a radius of a hundred meters. Moreover, he rarely left the Divine Emperor Palace under normal circumstances.
Yet judging by Jiang Linglong's demeanor just now, she seemed utterly determined to become his follower.
So be it. Taking on a follower wasn't a bad idea after all. Should any situation ever arise requiring him to leave the Jiang Family in the future, Jiang Linglong could step in and block any trouble along the way.
With this thought in mind, Jiang Chen nodded and spoke, "Linglong, since you wish to become my follower, you must never betray me in the future. You surely know the consequences should you do so. Would you like to consider it a bit further?"
"Divine Son, since Linglong has already made up her mind to become your follower, she will never betray you," Jiang Linglong replied, raising her head to look at Jiang Chen with a resolute gaze.
"Very well. Since you have already decided, there is no more that needs to be said. From this day forward, you are Jiang Chen's follower. Rise!"
Hearing this, Jiang Linglong clenched her fists toward Jiang Chen with a touch of excitement before standing up.
At that moment, Jiang Linglong's gaze remained fixed on the Divine Son before her. Clad in white robes like an immortal, radiating an aura imbued with Dao Rhyme, Jiang Chen—now her master—caused a flush of red to involuntarily rise across her cheeks.
"Oh, right, Divine Son. Have you given any thought to venturing out for training?" Jiang Linglong quickly changed the subject.
In her eyes, Jiang Chen's strength made him undoubtedly the most peerless existence of the younger generation. Even among hidden aristocratic families, other hegemon-level factions, or the slumbering progeny of Great Emperors, absolutely no one could possibly be a match for Jiang Chen.
Although they had yet to witness Jiang Chen make a move even now, this terrifying courtyard alone, coupled with his previous display of shouting away the heavenly tribulation with a single word, was enough to leave them shaken. Not to mention the rumors that the Divine Son was born with the Chaos Physique and the Supreme Immortal Bone.
Any one of those traits, once fully matured, was a terrifying talent capable of rivaling a Great Emperor. She believed that as long as the Divine Son was willing to step out of the Jiang Family, he could sweep across the world with ease. Leave aside their own Wuji Immortal Realm—she was convinced the Divine Son could reign invincible across any immortal realm.
"Training? I have no such plans for the time being. After all, my method of cultivation differs from yours. The state of mind I uphold is simply to let nature take its course and flow with the current," Jiang Chen said with a guilty conscience.
Damn it all! If that sly old system hadn't swallowed up all my cultivation, do you think this Divine Son wouldn't want to go out and receive the adoration of millions...
Jiang Chen complained endlessly in his heart, but kept a calm expression on the outside.
"Since this is the Divine Son's method of cultivation, Linglong has nothing more to say. However, should the Jiang Family ever encounter monsters among our peers who cannot be matched, I ask that the Divine Son step in at the appropriate time."
"At your age, having already broken through the Dragon Transformation Realm to reach the Half-Step Mighty realm, could there really be contemporaries you are unable to match?" Jiang Chen couldn't help asking with some confusion. Aside from a freak like himself, were there really people in the outside world that Jiang Linglong and the others couldn't defeat?
"Yes, Divine Son. The waters outside run deep..."
"Even Lingtian, who possesses the strongest talent among the three Divine Sons of ours, wouldn't dare lightly claim he can sweep through the younger generation of the Wuji Immortal Realm. Imperial clans like our Jiang Family, with legacies spanning countless epochs, number several within the Wuji Immortal Realm alone. Who would dare assert that none among them possess talent as peerless as Lingtian's?" Jiang Linglong continued with a grave expression.
"To say nothing else, take the Tongtian Chamber of Commerce, which has been on friendly terms with our Jiang Family for generations—that is to say, the Ji Family, where your mother originates. It is rumored that there is a young maiden named Ji Xian'er who carries the Lotus Sword Body, one of the Ten Great Sacred Bodies. When she made her move two years ago, the manifestation of 'the bright moon rising from the sea' appeared, and she defeated the contemporary Holy Son of one of the Eastern Continent's hegemons in a single day. Her debut truly shook the world."
"Given the battle prowess she displayed back then, even Lingtian wouldn't dare claim he could steadily defeat her. Moreover, the financial resources of the Tongtian Chamber of Commerce are unfathomable. Not only within the Wuji Immortal Realm, but even in other immortal realms, they are renowned. With their wealth, they will undoubtedly pour countless heavenly treasures into Ji Xian'er's cultivation."
"Ji Xian'er? Why does that name sound so familiar? Wait... could it be the fiancée my mother mentioned before?" At this thought, the corner of Jiang Chen's eye twitched involuntarily.
"Divine Son, there is also the contemporary Buddha Son of the Western Continent. He is hailed as the reincarnation of the Golden Cicada. As one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, the Golden Cicada possessed innate growth potential sufficient to rival the battle strength of a Great Emperor. Now, having reincarnated as the contemporary Buddha Son of the Buddhist Sect and receiving the reinforcement of Buddhist power, he practices both Buddhism and demonic arts simultaneously. He has even been praised by the contemporary Buddha as the strongest Buddha Son the Buddhist Sect has seen in a millennium."
Unaware of Jiang Chen's brief distraction, Jiang Linglong pressed on.
"Furthermore, the imperial Wang Family, which has recently been at odds with our Jiang Family, has also produced a figure named Wang Teng. Rumors say this person was born with the Heaven-Dominating Physique, a top-tier special constitution said to be completely comparable to the Primordial Ancient Sacred Body."
"A Great Accomplishment Sacred Body is sufficient to rival the combat power of a contemporary Great Emperor, and the Heaven-Dominating Physique, being no inferior to the Primordial Ancient Sacred Body, must certainly be extraordinary."
"Therefore, among the paragons of the younger generation currently known to Linglong, the three of us lack absolute certainty of victory. But should the Divine Son make a move, Linglong believes you could easily sweep them aside." Jiang Linglong looked at Jiang Chen with burning eyes.
"Linglong, since you have become my follower, come here to find me whenever you encounter any cultivation problems in the future." Jiang Chen turned his face slightly away, seeming unable to endure Jiang Linglong's intense gaze.
"Linglong, your Divine War Body and the God of War manifestation you displayed earlier—your cultivation differs from mine; you need to hone yourself and grow stronger through continuous battle. Therefore, you don't need to stay here all the time. Venturing out more for training is the path that truly belongs to you."
"Divine Son, you are entirely right. That is precisely what Linglong thinks as well. Ever since I began practicing the Dao, I have constantly sought out powerful opponents to challenge, continually refining their combat techniques and fusing them into myself. I wouldn't dare boast about much else, but when it comes to combat technique alone, Linglong possesses absolute confidence." Jiang Linglong patted her chest with a confident air.
Jiang Chen nodded. It was easy to see: for a woman of such striking beauty to dress in armor and carry a heavy sword on her back—unless she possessed an extreme passion for combat, no woman would ever willingly choose such attire.