Chapter 112

President, it turns out you're here!

Zhang Jiling shouted with a strained voice, his face full of ecstasy even from far away. By his side followed a group of people, Wang Ergou and Kong Qiuqiu conspicuously among them, plus a small squad of spirited female trainees, whose leader was Chen Yuanyuan of that day's dance association.

Lu Fan blinked slightly, somewhat bewildered. Zhang Jiling and the others had already arrived before his eyes, each with stars in their eyes, circling around Lu Fan, all faces aflame.

Zhan Xiao spoke up again at this moment, "Everyone, the President has not shunned hardship, seeking benefits for our Tianlong Society members; the results are all here!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiling, Wang Ergou, and Kong Qiuqiu all became excited, jumped up, stepped onto the rune war chariot, and headed straight for Lu Fan.

This is a spirit-tool treasure sword! I, Kong Qiuqiu, have just broken through to Warrior Master, and I'm lacking a suitable weapon!

This must be a blood-coagulating healing elixir; I, Wang Ergou, am bold-hearted, and in future battles for Tianlong, this will surely be my life-saving medicine!

Haha, this abacus is also a mystic device? Our Tianlong still lacks an accountant; I will certainly not shirk the duty—give this to me!

The three of them chatted back and forth, pointing at the clusters of light swirling around Lu Fan's body, their faces full of yearning.

"Lu Fan, you lot are the elite of our institute; the guild benefits you promised that day ought to be fulfilled now!" Ling Yao modulated her tone, sounding neither salty nor bland, yet clearly carrying a hint of pride.

Lu Fan wore a strange expression; Ling Yao, this little girl, really knows how to speak. This Tianlong Society was basically set up according to her wishes, having nothing to do with him. She got something for nothing, promising great rewards, yet now she wants him to repay.

Anyone encountering such a thing would hardly put up with it silently; if not clarified, the real hardship may still lie ahead!

Lu Fan's eyes flickered, his expression shifted abruptly, as if he were pondering something.

Chen Yuanyuan walked over, speaking in a neutral tone to Yang Sheng beside her: "Yo, this is your president; all I've heard is you lot bragging about how formidable he is, yet I haven't seen you promote your members at all!"

Yang Sheng gave Chen Yuanyuan a complex look, then shook his head: "President Lu's talent is unmatched; he is the exemplar of our academy. To be by his side is a blessing for our Tianlong members; your so-called promotion might just be nonexistent club welfare."

Zhan Xiao seized the words, laughing loudly: "Not bad—fine birds choose their trees to roost. Our Tianlong members are all outstanding; the so-called benefits are only valued by the short-sighted. We believe that following the President, our future is limitless; a few benefits are of no consequence."

He spoke this way, appearing bold and unconstrained, yet he was the first to mention distributing benefits earlier—truly a case of 'seeing the wind to adjust the sail'.

Lu Fan gave Zhan Xiao a strange glance, then swept his gaze over the crowd and chuckled: "Everyone, your kindness in sponsoring the cultivation of my Tian Yuan Institute disciples is deeply appreciated; on behalf of the institute, I offer my heartfelt thanks!"

As his words fell, he flicked a single hand, sending a bottle of elixir, a spirit sword, and a strange abacus flying out, which slipped into the pockets of Zhang Jiling and the two others.

The remaining items he casually bundled and flung toward Zhu Ge Qing Ming not far to his side, then turned to Han Zhen standing there and said: "These things, you tally them up and distribute them to our Tianlong members!"

Han Zhen, seeing this, felt only excitement and stimulation. Lu Fan had now entrusted him with another heavy burden, causing his expression to tighten involuntarily as he gave a solemn nod.

"President, are you really going to divide these things among us?"

Yang Sheng froze; those items were hardly mundane—any one taken out would likely cause the Tian Yuan Institute disciples to scramble for them. Lu Fan actually giving them away so lightly to everyone is practically child's play.

"Tianlong"—what sort of society is this, after all? How could he not know? Not mentioning that Zhan Xiao harbors ulterior motives, Zhang Jiling and the trio are of obscure origin. Previously unknown in the institute, they seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, their methods and abilities advancing by leaps and bounds, likely backed by someone else behind the scenes.

Lu Fan gave Qiu Sheng a casual glance, saw through his thoughts, waved his hand nonchalantly, and said: "Just ordinary external objects—gifts from the surrounding heroes. Don't feel burdened; pick what you like. Since you've joined my Tianlong, the benefits will naturally not fall short of what was promised."

Upon saying this, Upon saying this, Yang Sheng and the other members felt their hearts tremble, all moved by Lu Fan's magnanimity. Those treasures were extremely precious; for Lu Fan to so casually give them away to everyone—what breadth of mind! Vast as the sea, unfathomable.

"Good—" Liu Changsheng, seeing this, shouted approval: "This is truly the disciple of my Tian Yuan Institute; to see you in my lifetime makes my decades of guarding this place worthwhile!"

Originally he felt displeased, after all he was the master of the Tian Yuan Institute. Letting a mere child stir up wind and rain, even putting on the airs of a 'person in charge'—where would a Martial Venerable expert put his face?

But seeing Lu Fan 'grant' those treasures to the Tianlong Society's disciples, his mood instantly eased. He had devoted most of his life to the Tian Yuan Institute; seeing his own disciples gain an opportunity naturally made him extremely happy.

The elders too were delighted beyond restraint; although today they had offended the elites of the Longxiang Dynasty's various forces, the Tian Yuan Institute also reaped much. Not only is the teleportation array stable, but they have also established new rules; henceforth, each time the Dragon Tower opens, the institute will surely reap great rewards.

Huang Haiming exhaled, his forehead relaxed, quite satisfied with this situation. However, the masked woman behind him was very angry, deeply dissatisfied with Lu Fan, and spat out in resentment.

"Hmph! You've even extorted a bamboo pole; the Dragon Tower's transmission ought to start now, right?"

Lu Fan paid no heed, glanced casually at the other party, then casually leapt from the rune war chariot, casually pointing at the transmission array; the chaotic, disordering fluctuations of the array instantly grew more violent, condensing in a flash into a light curtain.

Amid the swaying light and shadow, a valley could faintly be seen; at its center stood a crooked, twisted tower. Vital energy surged, actually seeping through the array's light curtain and dissipating throughout the area.

Everyone involuntarily inhaled a breath, feeling their pores relax and refresh, utterly delighted.

"Is this the famed Dragon Tower secret realm?"

Wang Wu was instantly captivated, her starry eyes fixed on the array's light curtain, as if trying to discern its inner reality.

"What mysteries does the Dragon Tower secret realm hold? One must see for oneself to know. The time is about right; I, Lu Fan, will take the lead!"

Lu Fan gave a low shout, his body leaping upward with the vigor of a great peng spreading its wings; in an instant he reached the light curtain, without pause turning into an illusory form and plunging into the curtain.

"Hmph! Brat, why so impulsive!"

Ling Yao gave a cold snort; she had wanted to call out to Lu Fan, but his speed was too fast, giving her no chance.

Liu Changsheng, however, gave a wry smile and shook his head, scolding: "You brat, just got a benefit and now you're playing the hands‑off manager—really outrageous!"

He said that, yet there was no hint of blame; he turned his head and nodded to Elder Bai beside him.

Elder Bai's expression tightened; he then solemnly declared: "The hour has come, transmission begins—those who have come from afar, please show your Dragon Spirit talismans!"

Zhang Heng immediately stepped forward, laughed loudly, threw out a strange talisman, then imitated Lu Fan by diving into the array's light curtain and vanishing.

Afterward, the others followed suit, turning into streaks of flowing light that disappeared with the transmission array.

In an unknown void, a flash of light revealed a handsome youth's figure slowly emerging—it was Lu Fan.

As soon as he appeared, he immediately scanned his surroundings, his expression changing in astonishment: "Wasn't the valley supposed to be what the array's light curtain showed? Why is this place so vast?"

He lifted his gaze to the distance; beneath his feet was a highland, yet all around the highland stretched an endless primeval forest, the heavenly and earthly qi lush, which bore a striking resemblance to what had rippled out from the array's light curtain.

"Hehe! President Lu, you don't know this: the Dragon Tower is a secret realm that no power has ever been able to fully grasp. Even the maps drawn by disciples who venture out change completely each time it opens, making it utterly unpredictable."

Zhang Heng emerged from a corner, chuckling.

"Oh? There's such a thing? Looks like this Dragon Tower secret realm is rather odd!"

Lu Fan blinked slightly, then nodded. In his past life he had also seen many secret realms—some spanning millions of li, forming worlds of their own; others might be only a hundred li across, empty and worthless.

Given that the Dragon Tower secret realm can open on schedule for transmission, it likely isn't huge. Yet each opening differs, which is quite problematic.

"Hehe, odd it may be, but for Brother Lu, a person of such divine abilities, there ought to be no danger… huh, what's wrong with you?"

Zhang Heng was about to give Lu Fan two tall hats, but mid‑sentence his expression shifted, and he stared at Lu Fan with a strange look.

Lu Fan furrowed his brows, scanned his surroundings, finding nothing abnormal. About to ask Zhang Heng, he instead noticed something unusual about the other party.

Only see that around Zhang Heng there faintly coiled a wisp of purple qi, shadowy and elusive, appearing as if it might dissipate at any moment, yet it was unusually tenacious, condensing without dispersing.

"Dragon Origin Purple Qi, where is your Dragon Origin Purple Qi?"

Zhang Heng shouted in alarm, as if he had witnessed the strangest thing in the world, looking like he had seen a ghost.

"Dragon-origin purple Qi? It turns out this wisp of aura is called dragon-origin purple Qi!"

Lu Fan waved his hand with one hand, grabbing toward Zhang Heng's body. The other party shrank his neck in fright and retreated quickly. Yet he was still half a step slow; the purple light-shadow flickering around him lost a large chunk, which entered Lu Fan's hand.

"What? You actually managed to seize the dragon-origin purple Qi—this is impossible!"

Zhang Heng was even more shocked, as if his entire understanding had been overturned, bewildered and unable to comprehend, staring straight at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan, however, said nothing, staring at the purple light in his hand. After a moment, his face lit up with joy and he laughed loudly: "What dragon-origin purple Qi? This is clearly true dragon power—there is true dragon power here! I, Lu Fan, have struck it rich!"

"Huh? I don't have any true dragon power on me—why are you so strange? Does everyone who enters this secret realm receive true dragon power as a blessing?"

He suddenly realized; although his words were a question, there was no doubt in them. He stared at Zhang Heng with a fiery expression, his vigor rising, about to erupt.

"Wait, you can't move me—let's make a deal!"

Zhang Heng appeared meek and obedient, yet felt no fear; his Qi surged, flowing smoothly. Though he drew no weapon, his bare hands concealed a subtle mysterious fluctuation—evidently he had some skill in fist and foot.

"A deal! How do you want to trade?"

Lu Fan halted his stance, his gaze somewhat amused. The Zhang obviously wasn't afraid of him; he seemed to have some other reliance. Considering they had just entered the secret realm, he saw no need to go all out. Moreover, the scions of aristocratic clans are no pushovers; they might have hidden treasures nearby, and in a life‑or‑death struggle he might not escape unscathed.

"Hehe! Brother Lu, you probably aren't clear on some of the secrets of the Dragon Pagoda Secret Realm! I, Zhang, may be untalented, but I happen to know quite a few Dragon Pagoda secrets—I can share them with you!"

Zhang Heng gave a hehe smile, his expression softening a little, yet his surrounding Qi became even more condensed, secretly guarding against Lu Fan.

Lu Fan didn't care at all, lightly saying, "Go ahead and speak!" He had not mentioned how the trade would work, nor promised anything; a prudent person would not let down his guard, fearing his mind would become tightly wound in such a 'discussion'.