Badum! Badum! Badum!
The cultivators around Yuan could feel their hearts being squeezed by this invisible pressure the longer they remained around him, so they all took steps back, fearing that their hearts might be crushed if they continued going forward.
"W-Who are you?! Why do you want to speak with the chairman?! If you do anything funny, the entire Cultivators' Association will be upon you!" The head guard pointed at Yuan and shouted.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Yuan. Tell your chairman that Yuan is here to see him."
"Y-Yuan…? D-Don't tell me that you're 'that' Yuan from Cultivation Online…?" The head guard was left speechless by this revelation.
The others were also shocked by Player Yuan's sudden appearance.
As for as they were aware, the real Player Yuan has never appeared in public before, and judging by his appearance and unfathomable presence, there was a good chance that this masked figure before them was truly Player Yuan— the number one mysterious player in Cultivation Online!
Meanwhile, somewhere on the top floor of the Cultivators' Association, a decently sized group of individuals with ages ranging from old to young sat around a large conference table with Chairman Zhao sitting at the end, and all of them were emitting a profound aura.
"If your exalted families join our Cultivators' Association that is currently the number one force in the world, it will permanently stabilize our position in the world, and your families will definitely be compensated greatly for it." Chairman Zhao said to these individuals.
However, before any of these people could even respond, they felt an unfathomable pressure appearing right beneath them, shocking them greatly.
"H-Heavens! What was that?! Who is releasing this pressure?!"
"This pressure… It's the presence of a Spirit Master!"
"Impossible!"
The old people there stood up from shock after feeling the pressure.
"What? Did you just say Spirit Master? Is that even possible?" Chairman Zhao exclaimed in a dumbfounded voice.
His phone began ringing the very next moment.
"What happened? Don't you know that I am currently in a meeting with the grand families?"
"C-Chairman Zhao! I deeply apologize for disturbing your meeting with the seniors, but we have an emergency! Someone claiming to be 'Yuan' is here to see you! And he's causing a commotion!"
"What? Yuan? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Chairman Zhao muttered out loud, causing everyone there to look at him.
Then he came to a realization.
"Y-Yuan?! That Player Yuan from Cultivation Online?! Is it really him?!" Chairman Zhao shouted at the phone.
"I-I think so! He's even wearing a mask to conceal his identity! I think he's real!"
"Tell him to stay put! I will be there in a moment!" Chairman Zhao closed the connection and turned to look at the people there with an apologetic smile.
"I am coming with you. I would like to see if this person is really that famous 'Player Yuan'." One of the old men there spoke.
"I am also curious."
Eventually, everyone in the room agreed to follow Chairman Zhao.
'Is it really Player Yuan? Why would he show up so suddenly? And what business does he have with me?' Chairman Zhao wondered to himself as he walked to the elevators with the others, as he doesn't recall having any contact with Yuan before.
Sometime later, they arrived downstairs, and they could see two individuals wearing a mask being surrounded by many people there.
"A-Are you really Player Yuan?!" One of the people gathered around them asked.
However, Yuan ignored him and continued to stand there in silence.
The old people following Chairman Zhao took a deep breath as they approached the masked man who was emitting a profound pressure.
'Spirit Master! He's really a Spirit Master!'
They were quite shocked to see an unknown Spirit Master.
"Make way! The Chairman is here!"
The head guard shouted at the people there.
A path quickly opened up, allowing Chairman Zhao to approach Yuan, but he didn't get too close, as he had a bad feeling about this situation.
"Are you really Player Yuan? Why do you want to speak with me?"
Yuan didn't say anything at first and started slowly walking towards Chairman Zhao until he was standing right before him.
"I am here to give you a warning today. If you dare try to lay a finger on Meixiu again, I will destroy the entire Cultivators' Association." Yuan spoke in a grim voice with his pressure growing stronger and stronger.
Chairman Zhao could feel an invisible hand crushing his heart from the pressure, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
"M-Meixiu…? How are you related to her?" Chairman Zhao asked him with a deep frown as he was having trouble breathing, and he could've never imagined that Player Yuan would show up here for Meixiu.
"Our relationship doesn't concern you, nor should you stick your nose into our business. The only thing you need to know is that if you dare to bother Meixiu again, I will bring the Cultivator's Association to the ground."
"I—"
Before Chairman Zhao could even respond, Yuan suddenly moved his arm and grabbed Chairman Zhao's neck, lifting him into the air.
"C-Chairman!"
The guards there subconsciously reacted, but they were stopped by the old people that were following Chairman Zhao.
"If you don't want the chairman to die, you should stay still," said an old man with long white hair tied into a ponytail.
Meanwhile, Yuan spoke in a low voice while staring at Chairman Zhao.
"I am not asking you— I am telling you to leave her alone. Do you understand me?"
"Y-Yes… I-I understand…" Chairman Zhao uttered with much effort.
"Hmph!"
Yuan tossed Chairman Zhao to the side like trash after hearing his response.
He then turned around and said to Meifeng, "Let's go."
However, before he could walk very far, one of the old people there called out to him in a respectful voice, "Please wait a moment, young man."
Yuan stopped and turned around to see an old man standing behind him with his hands clasped together.