Chapter 198: Hiding One’s Light Under a Bushel

Hearing this, Gu Le immediately rolled her eyes. "Please, we just signed a marriage contract. We're husband and wife now. Do you have to be so cold?"

Speaking of this, Gu Le was clearly a bit depressed.

Over the past few days, she had actually sent Yang Fan many messages, but he hadn't replied to a single one. In the end, she had to pull some strings to find out where Yang Fan was currently living.

The reason Yang Fan was like this was mainly because the improvements brought by the Mechanical Route were too exaggerated. As his learning efficiency skyrocketed, Yang Fan was almost completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

Gu Le sighed helplessly. "The development of a Divine Kingdom isn't something that happens in a day or two; you have to give it time to slowly undergo Evolution, right? How about accompanying your wife for a stroll?"

"I still have many things to do," Yang Fan politely declined.

"No! Are you some kind of ascetic monk? Although we're married, the Gu Family is still counting on us to take our relationship a step further. It would be best to have a child."

"You're not… dysfunctional, are you? How about using genetic technology for artificial cultivation? That way it won't delay your Cultivation, and the efficiency is high." Gu Le said in shock, her face full of grief as if she were the one suffering a great loss.

Yang Fan: "…"

After a few seconds of silence, Yang Fan finally couldn't hold it back anymore. "I'm just not that interested, but that doesn't mean I'm dysfunctional. Why don't we try tonight?"

As he spoke, Yang Fan's gaze involuntarily fell upon Gu Le's graceful figure. His state of mind, which had been calm for a long time, experienced a slight ripple.

Yang Fan's state of mind had improved greatly, and he was no longer burdened by beauty, but as a seven-foot-tall man, how could he let someone say he was dysfunctional?

Moreover, with the three routes of his Divine Kingdom running in parallel, Yang Fan, as a god, possessed a Physical Body and spirit that far surpassed ordinary demigods. Let alone tossing and turning for one night, he would still be full of vigor even after several consecutive days.

As for whether Gu Le could handle it… that was hard to say.

"Sure," Gu Le said, resting her chin on her hands and looking at Yang Fan with a beaming smile.

"There just happens to be a gathering tonight. Do you want to accompany me? Then we can come back and take care of business."

"A gathering?"

"The direct-line Geniuses of the Five Great Giants, as well as many SS-rank peerless prodigies, will be there."

"There aren't many people, just a few hundred. It's considered a gathering of the top tier of Taichu City's younger generation of Prodigies. Besides students, many alumni who have already graduated will also attend."

At this point, Gu Le's tone became slightly more serious. "Once we become gods in the future, regardless of our status, we'll have to serve on the front lines. This gathering is essentially for the younger generation to get in touch in advance. Which war zone you want to go to, which legion to join, and who to team up with can all be arranged ahead of time."

While saying this, Gu Le's gaze remained fixed on Yang Fan's eyes.

"No problem." Yang Fan nodded.

By now, he already understood the rules of how the world operated.

Families, connections, interests, and cooperation—these real-world social interactions were equally important for the development of a Divine Kingdom.

Moreover, Yang Fan truly wanted to see what the top tier of Taichu City's Prodigies were actually capable of.

Seeing Yang Fan agree so readily, Gu Le was actually a bit speechless.

He flatly refused when she invited him out to play, but immediately agreed when he heard it was a gathering of top-tier Prodigies.

"You really are pragmatic!" Gu Le rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Didn't you want me to go too?" Yang Fan countered.

Hearing this, Gu Le was taken aback for a moment, then she chuckled. "True. As my husband, you can't be a useless person. Only someone pragmatic and calm enough can go further."

After saying this, Gu Le slowly stood up, walked to Yang Fan with her long legs, and lightly brushed her finger across his cheek.

Those beautiful eyes were filled with a faint, lingering charm.

However, in the next moment, Yang Fan suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.

The distance between them closed instantly, to the point where even their breathing was clearly audible.

"Starting now?" Yang Fan looked down at her.

Gu Le had originally intended to be a bit flirtatious, but being suddenly hugged by Yang Fan like this, her face turned red in an instant.

That bold appearance from just now vanished instantly, and she looked instead like a startled little rabbit.

"The… the gathering is tonight!"

Gu Le hurriedly broke free, then turned and ran, rushing into a room in the villa. With a "bang," she slammed the door shut and even locked it.

Leaving Yang Fan standing there, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"That's it?"

Yang Fan smiled disdainfully. As a battle-hardened "Great God" of Tianxiang Renjian, Gu Le's level just now was, in his eyes, as amateur as an amateur could get.

"As a direct descendant of the Gu Family, she's capable and shrewd, but surprisingly, she's actually quite pure." Yang Fan chuckled inwardly.

Especially thinking about Gu Le's fleeing appearance just now compared to her earlier bold flirting, the sense of contrast was truly quite strong.

Soon, evening arrived.

Yang Fan changed his clothes and then left the villa with Gu Le.

The gathering was being held in the real world. After all, at their current level, the Virtual World was mostly for convenient communication; truly important gatherings and social circles still leaned toward reality.

…

The center of Taichu City.

A massive restaurant stood under the night sky, with flowing neon and interwoven suspended light screens. The entire building was like an interstellar palace in a futuristic city, magnificent and luxurious.

Seeing this scene, even Yang Fan couldn't help but be slightly surprised.

One had to know that the overall style of Taichu City had always leaned toward retro and minimalist, with a large number of buildings carrying the aura of a cultivation civilization.

But the place before him was in a completely different style, even giving Yang Fan the feeling of suddenly arriving on a Vacation Planet.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" Gu Le smiled with her hands behind her back. "The land here was bought by the Five Great Families together, specifically for the younger generation's gatherings."

"It has everything inside: racing tracks, virtual combat halls, private cocktail parties, entertainment areas, hot springs…"

"Basically, you can find almost any entertainment project you can think of here."

At this point, Gu Le gave a light shrug. "The Virtual World is different from reality after all. Most of the time during the development of a Divine Kingdom, the gods are just waiting, and Taichu City is usually too boring, so one has to find some fun."

Hearing this, Yang Fan nodded slightly.

This was indeed the truth. For most people, the development of a Divine Kingdom required a lot of time to settle, even with Yang Fan's Evolution Talent.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from ahead.

"Brother Yang!" Sima Bang and Sima Tianci were seen walking toward them.

"You're here! You didn't reply when I messaged you, so I thought you weren't attending this gathering." Sima Bang looked pleasantly surprised.

Today, he was noticeably more composed, wearing a custom-tailored black formal suit that made him look quite upright.

"I've been quite busy lately."

Yang Fan gave a simple explanation, then turned to look at Sima Tianci. "Brother Tianci, thanks for the help last time."

"It was a small matter," Sima Tianci waved his hand.

"But speaking of which, you're really enviable, kid. The investment contract the Gu Family gave you has completely spread through our small circle now. The specifications are much higher than those for other prodigies."

At this point, Sima Tianci's eyes flickered slightly. "I heard… it was a Senior-level Senior from the Gu Family who personally gave the word. You're really hiding your light under a bushel, kid!"