Arriving outside Grandpa's room, Zhang Hao knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Come in!" Grandpa's authoritative voice came from inside the room.
After the Zhang Family became the foremost Family in Watt Country outside of the Royal Family, Zhang Hao felt Grandpa's prestige growing day by day. Perhaps thinking it was a Family member coming to report on Family matters, Grandpa's voice still carried a hint of reserve.
Zhang Hao smiled brightly, pushed open the door, and entered Grandpa's room.
"Grandpa!"
Zhang Hao called out with a smile.
Zhang Yaobang's expression brightened when he saw it was Zhang Hao. He stood up and said to him excitedly, "Zhang Hao, you're okay, that's great."
"Grandpa, I made you worry." Zhang Hao looked at the excited Grandpa, feeling a bit ashamed.
"Zhang Hao, no one's life is smooth sailing all the time. We must learn to bravely face setbacks. Only by daring to face them do we have a chance to overcome them." Zhang Yaobang said earnestly.
"Grandpa, I know." Zhang Hao nodded solemnly.
"Zhang Hao, there are plenty of good girls... Zi Qian might not be suitable for you." Zhang Yaobang said after a moment of silence.
"Grandpa, I won't give up. Are you telling me to give up on Zi Qian because of Xiao Long?" Zhang Hao looked at Grandpa with burning eyes.
Zhang Yaobang sighed deeply and nodded, saying, "Zhang Hao, Grandpa knows he can't persuade you. Your temper is as stubborn as your Father's; once you've set your mind on something, you won't change."
"Grandpa, I want to know, who exactly is this Xiao Long? Why is Grandpa so wary of him?" Zhang Hao truly didn't have much of an impression of this person.
"Heh heh, it's no wonder Zhang Hao doesn't know Xiao Long. Our Watt Country is just a small border country, and news is blocked off. And Zhang Hao, you don't pay much attention to these matters either."
Zhang Hao gave a wry smile. He had transmigrated here, and counting everything, it hadn't even been a year. Many of his memories weren't complete, so naturally, some things weren't very clear.
"Xiao Long, he is the publicly acknowledged number one Genius in our Northern Region." Zhang Yaobang's expression was very wary as he said this.
"The number one Genius in the Northern Region?"
Zhang Hao was a bit surprised. Although he had been mentally prepared, hearing this title still made him inhale sharply.
How big is the Northern Region? It's debatable whether tens of thousands of Waxi Dukedoms combined could fill the entire Northern Region. This shows how vast the Northern Region's territory is. And Xiao Long is actually the number one Genius in the entire Northern Region.
"Xiao Long achieved Great Martial Master at thirteen, advanced to Martial King at sixteen, and is now only eighteen, with unfathomable strength. Even more terrifying is that he possesses the most powerful True Dragon Body in the Northern Region. It's said that when he was born, it caused a phenomenon, with lightning and thunder in the sky, and some people saw an image of two dragons playing with a pearl. Although this is just a rumor, it is an indisputable fact that Xiao Long possesses the True Dragon Body."
Zhang Yaobang said solemnly, "It is said that an Elder from a Sect in the Emperor Domain has taken a liking to his talent and is preparing to take him as a Personal Disciple. Zhang Hao, the enemy you face is very formidable!"
Zhang Hao furrowed his brows. From Grandpa's description, this Xiao Long is indeed powerful! However, only this way can he give himself infinite fighting spirit and pressure.
Originally, Zhang Yaobang thought that by describing Xiao Long's terrifying nature, Zhang Hao would feel discouraged, which would naturally make him give up. But unexpectedly, what Zhang Hao had was soaring fighting spirit.
Zhang Yaobang felt a bit helpless, because he knew that if Zhang Hao insisted on continuing with Zi Qian, he would face endless difficulties. However, the path is chosen by the person, and since his grandson has set his mind on it, he has no reason to stop him.
"Zhang Hao, if you insist on going down this path, Grandpa will be your solid backing." Zhang Yaobang looked at Zhang Hao, full of heroic spirit.
"Thank you, Grandpa, Zhang Hao won't give up. Perhaps Xiao Long is very strong, but your grandson is also confident that he can catch up. He will only become a stepping stone for your grandson to reach the Peak of martial arts. Grandpa, just you wait and see!" Zhang Hao's voice carried immense determination.
"Good, grandson, Grandpa likes this kind of confidence in you. Go defeat him. Zi Qian is indeed a good potential granddaughter-in-law, and only my grandson is worthy of her. How can such a good potential granddaughter-in-law be given away so easily?" Zhang Yaobang said with a loud laugh.
"Grandpa!" Zhang Hao became emotional.
"Hahaha"
Grandpa and grandson looked at each other and smiled.
After a short while, Zhang Yaobang looked at Zhang Hao and asked, "Tian'er, what are your plans for the future? You've already reached the Peak in Watt Country; staying here doesn't have much meaning and isn't beneficial for your growth. You should consider your future path."
Zhang Hao said seriously, "Yes, Grandpa, Zhang Hao plans to participate in the assessment for the Three Great Academies."
"Haha, Grandpa knew you would go, so I already had someone gather information for you."
"Is that so, Grandpa? Are there any changes to this year's assessment?" Zhang Hao quickly asked.
Zhang Yaobang stroked his beard and said, "There aren't any major changes, but this time, all the Colleges, plus the Three Great Academies, will conduct their assessments together and then select the best candidates. The location is Hualong City, the Emperor City of the Hualong Empire."
"Oh. Is it in seven days?" Zhang Hao asked.
"Yes, it's in seven days, but the Hualong Empire is a long distance from our Watt Country. If Tian'er, you participate in the assessment, the journey will be tight." Zhang Yaobang said.
Zhang Hao pondered for a moment and asked Grandpa, "Grandpa, if I go through the Endless Swamp, can I shorten the distance?"
"Yes, if you go through the Endless Swamp, you can reach the Hualong Empire within three days. But Tian'er, the Endless Swamp is extremely dangerous. Even a Great Martial Master entering might lose their life. It's full of dangers everywhere, not only endless Ferocious Beasts but also many perilous areas. Tian'er, you absolutely must not think of trying it." Zhang Yaobang quickly advised.
"Grandpa, you don't need to persuade me. Danger and Opportunity coexist. Although the Endless Swamp has many dangers, there might also be some opportunities. The path of cultivation for a Martial Warrior originally requires breaking through thorns and overcoming all difficulties. If one doesn't even dare to try a little danger, how can they talk about the Peak of martial arts?" Zhang Hao said solemnly.
Zhang Hao's words struck Zhang Yaobang's heart like heavy hammers, like a sudden enlightenment.
"Hahaha... Tian'er, Grandpa has been awakened by you. I didn't expect that Grandpa, as a pioneer, would be enlightened by his own grandson. Grandpa even felt his cultivation Realm loosen a bit. Perhaps, I can soon advance to the next level." Zhang Yaobang laughed heartily.
"Grandpa, then congratulations to you."
Zhang Hao was also happy. He knew that Grandpa had been stuck at the third level of Martial Master for many years.
"Alright, Zhang Hao, Grandpa is going into seclusion now, so I won't see you off this time. I hope to hear Tian'er's good news soon." After speaking, Zhang Yaobang quickly walked away.
Zhang Hao smiled wryly: Grandpa is still so impatient.
Just after leaving Grandpa's room, a servant reported that his friends had come to visit.
"Friends, could it be Murong Fei and Murong Longcheng?" Zhang Hao was surprised.
Zhang Hao came to the living room and found Murong Fei and Murong Longcheng drinking tea. Seeing him, they both stood up and smiled.
"Zhang Hao, are you well?"
"Zhang Hao..."