Chapter 221: Where did this come from? Is this still Dragon Nation?

In the reception hall.

Nie Zhenguó's lips curled slightly.

"Good! Excellent—unparalleled in ten thousand ages!"

"Hahahaha!!!"

Lin Tianhao snapped out of his daze, let out a loud laugh, his face brimming with pride bordering on arrogance.

"Of course—have you seen who his father is?"

He glanced around smugly.

"This is my Lin Tianhao's bloodline—this talent! This insight! Purely inherited from me! My son Lin Mo has the bearing of a supreme sovereign!"

Watching Lin Tianhao's display,

Nie Zhenguó couldn't help rolling his eyes and teasing:

"Enough, enough—stop slapping gold leaf on your own face."

"Inherited from you? If Lin Mo had been in your cohort back then, you'd have been crushed under his feet—would you believe it?"

Nie Zhenguó snorted dismissively:

"Not even you at eighteen."

"Even you at twenty-eight, facing the current Lin Mo, probably couldn't survive a single strike."

"I still remember—you were back then struggling just to master high-tier skills."

Hearing Nie Lao's merciless exposure of his past,

Gu He and Zhang Qi beside him couldn't help stifling giggles.

Faced with Nie Lao's teasing, Lin Tianhao showed not a shred of embarrassment—instead, he thrust his neck forward, radiating bandit-like swagger.

"Nie Lao, I don't like what you just said. What do you mean 'slapping gold leaf on my face'? This is called one wave higher than the last!"

Lin Tianhao retorted brazenly:

"You understand genetic mutation, right?"

"The old saying goes: dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes!"

"If I, Lin Tianhao, hadn't provided such superior genes as a foundation, could my son have mutated into such an insane talent?"

"Bottom line—it's all because my genes are top-notch!"

Nearby,

Lin Mo listened to his father's eloquent nonsense, his lips twitching twice.

"..."

What the hell is genetic mutation?

Dad, your ability to twist logic hasn't faded one bit.

Trying to ride on my coattails, huh?

But Lin Mo was long used to it.

His father was a blood-soaked war god in public.

Among close acquaintances, he was nothing but a grizzled old soldier, a relentless arguer.

This was just how he was—never changing.

Nie Zhenguó waved his hand helplessly.

"Fine, fine."

"You're great, your genes are amazing—I can't argue with you."

"Hmph, of course I'm great."

Lin Tianhao lifted his chin triumphantly.

Then,

he turned and nudged Lin Mo's shoulder.

The face once full of bandit-like ferocity instantly softened with affection.

"But still..."

"Even though my genes are great, my son truly is exceptional—this we must admit."

Lin Tianhao looked at Lin Mo, his eyes filled with paternal pride.

"Sigh..."

"Truly, the pupil surpasses the master."

"Son, I'm proud of you!"

Watching this touching father-son moment, everyone smiled.

At this moment,

Zhang Qi, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.

"Nie Lao, Lin Mo isn't just unprecedented in his elemental insight—his combat proficiency is also monstrous."

"Huh? How so?"

Nie Zhenguó asked curiously.

Zhang Qi took a deep breath and said:

"Nie Lao, just now outside the Tian Shu Mansion, I tested him lightly."

Hearing this,

Nie Zhenguó raised an eyebrow slightly.

He knew Zhang Qi's strength well.

A top-tier Sword Saint!

Even using only mid-tier skills, he was far beyond what ordinary 70- or 80-level cultivators could withstand.

Zhang Qi continued:

"I swear, I didn't hold back."

"Though it was only a mid-tier skill, Nie Lao, you know how fast my flying sword is."

"The result..."

Zhang Qi gave a bitter smile.

"Lin Mo not only sensed it instantly, but reacted with the perfect defense in that same instant."

"That's not all."

"While blocking my flying sword, he immediately shifted into counterattack mode, all his skills primed and ready."

"If Gu Principal and I hadn't desperately held him back, the Tian Shu Mansion might already be leveled by Lin Mo."

Hiss—

Hearing Zhang Qi's description,

Nie Zhenguó was stunned.

Exceptional talent was one thing—but combat experience and battlefield reflexes were entirely different.

These required real combat and years of accumulation.

Lin Mo was only eighteen—yet he'd shown such reflexes against Zhang Qi, and nearly flattened the Tian Shu Mansion?

Lin Tianhao was also stunned.

Holy shit!

His son really had guts!

One wrong word and he'd level the Tian Shu Mansion?

But...

That's damn thrilling!

Thinking of it,

Lin Tianhao turned and shot Zhang Qi a glance.

"Old Zhang, why the hell did you test my son? Are you bored out of your mind?"

"Even if my son did flatten the Tian Shu Mansion, whose fault is it? Isn't it yours—for no reason poking at him?"

"Right, son?"

"You..."

Zhang Qi was speechless from Lin Tianhao's blatant favoritism. "Lin Tianhao, how can you be so unreasonable? I said it was a light test!"

Lin Tianhao ignored him, turning his gaze to Nie Zhenguó.

"Nie Lao..."

Lin Tianhao rubbed his hands together, hinting subtly.

"Look."

"My son has not only exceptional talent but also outstanding combat proficiency."

"He was startled, yet still showed restraint—knew when to stop."

"For a prodigy like this—unprecedented in history—shouldn't our Dragon Nation show some recognition?"

"Can't we just praise him verbally and call it quits? This kind of investment needs to be maximized."

Lin Mo listened nearby.

He secretly relished it.

It's really Dad who knows how to do it—asking for favors himself would be awkward, but Dad asking is perfectly justified.

He pulled out his staff and added:

"Dad, actually Uncle Zhang has already given some investment—a legendary exclusive weapon, Starfall Annihilation's Whisper."

"Legendary exclusive weapon?"

Lin Tianhao's eyebrows shot up sharply.

He glanced at the staff and let out a light snort through his nose.

"That's nowhere near enough!"

"What's my son's status? An eighteen-year-old Four-Element Law King! Does a legendary exclusive weapon even match my son's talent?"

Lin Tianhao turned to Zhang Qi with an air of absolute entitlement and ordered:

"Hey, little Zhang."

"Go."

"Get my son a forbidden-class exclusive weapon."

"Legendary weapons might fool ordinary prodigies, but my son must use a forbidden-class one!"

Zhang Qi heard this.

He nearly rolled his eyes in rage.

He glared at Lin Tianhao and snapped:

"General Lin! Do you think forbidden-class exclusive weapons are cabbage? You just want one and it appears?"

"Swap for a forbidden-class one? Where are you going to find it?"

"In our Dragon Nation's strategic treasury, this is the only exclusive weapon suitable for a blank-class mage! The only one!"

"Tsk…"

Lin Tianhao clicked his tongue, his face full of disgust.

"So meager?"

"The Tian Shu Mansion's treasury can't even find a single forbidden-class blank-class exclusive weapon? Wouldn't that be embarrassing to say out loud?"

Watching Lin Tianhao play the roles of "bandit" and "overprotective father" to perfection, Nie Zhenguo finally couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hehehe…"

"Alright, alright, Tianhao, don't put poor little Zhang through this."

"The treasury's situation is exactly as he said."

At that moment,

Gu He smiled and spoke up:

"Old Nie, there's one more thing about Lin Mo's achievements I haven't had the chance to report to you yet."

"Oh?"

Nie Zhenguo turned his head, curious.

"What's that?"

Gu He's tone carried strong pride.

"All three dungeon records that the Ying Nation snatched from us have now been reclaimed by Lin Mo."

"Moreover, Lin Mo has cut the clear times for both the Burial Dragon Snowfield and the Savage Sand Divine Temple to under two minutes."

"The clear time for the Shadow Withered Bone Forest has even dropped below one minute."

"…."

When these words landed,

Even the ever-calm Nie Zhenguo couldn't help but flinch.

Two minutes?

And one under one minute?!

After just one trip, it felt like the world had changed.

Is this still the Dragon Nation?

What have you gotten me into, old man?