Chapter 199: Gu Jiuheng, Cousin

At this moment, Sima Tianci's gaze toward Yang Fan clearly held a bit more scrutiny.

To the outside world, the investment contracts of peerless prodigies were classified information.

But within the Five Great Giants, these matters weren't secrets at all; to some extent, they were even a part of how top geniuses compared themselves to one another.

For example: So what if you're strong? If my investment specifications are higher than yours, it means my Family has more confidence in me, and I'm bound to be stronger in the future.

"Is that so?" Yang Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Compared to the other four great families, the investment amount offered by the Gu Family was indeed much higher.

However, Yang Fan hadn't thought too much about it back then.

It's just… an Elder-level Senior?

At this moment, a figure suddenly surfaced in Yang Fan's mind—Senior Gu Yuan.

That old man who had left a deep impression on him in the Taichu Battlefield.

But soon, Yang Fan shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

Even if it really was him, knowing it now served no purpose.

An existence at that level wasn't someone he could see just because he wanted to; it wasn't as if he could specifically go to his door to thank him.

Soon, the group of four walked into the restaurant.

The hall was extremely spacious, with floating screens, holographic projections, and mechanical waiters weaving back and forth.

There were also many young men and women in formal attire all around, most of them emitting the aura of demigods.

As Sima Tianci entered the hall, many people immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Brother Tianci, after I graduate, will I have a chance to work with you?"

"Are Military Merits on the front lines really as hard to get as the rumors say?"

"I heard the Frontline War Zones started large-scale recruitment again recently, is that true?"

Facing the crowd's inquiries, Sima Tianci always maintained a faint smile; his tone was lazy but didn't seem perfunctory.

"Military Merits are naturally not that easy to obtain; you have to kill Alien Gods for those."

"As for joining the Legion I'm in…" Sima Tianci glanced at everyone, "You'll all have a chance after you graduate."

At the same time, some people noticed Yang Fan.

"Brother Yang, congratulations!"

"That investment contract from the Gu Family has us all green with envy. I'm afraid we won't be able to catch up to you at all in the future."

"When we get to the front lines in the future, Brother Yang must look out for us."

Yang Fan turned to look and found that the speakers were none other than Qin Yang and his group.

Standing beside him were Sima Ling, Lu Chen, and Gu Xingzhou's group.

These people were almost all top-ranked geniuses from the Heavenly Pride Apotheosis Battle, though not all of the top ten prodigies had come.

Because what truly mattered at this gathering was never the status of 'Genius,' but rather the direct lineage background of the Five Great Giants.

Hearing their words, Yang Fan smiled and said, "Everyone, you're overstating it. If there's an opportunity in the future, I shall naturally participate in the Divine Kingdom War with everyone, fighting side by side to jointly defend the Federation's territory."

Yang Fan's words were extremely official.

Yang Fan had no intention of participating in a Divine Kingdom War with others; after all, his Divine Kingdom had too many secrets, and with his Hundredfold Evolution Talent, developing alone was the way to maximize his interests.

However, Yang Fan had learned quite a bit of polite social talk by now. Sometimes, interpersonal relationships were a field of study in themselves.

As they were talking, a man walked over from not far away.

He wore a black military uniform, with a tall, straight build and steady, forceful steps; just by walking over, he gave off a blood-and-iron aura of a battlefield veteran, like a Vicious Beast hiding its sharpness.

Seeing the newcomer, Yang Fan subconsciously straightened his back.

"This person is even stronger than Sima Tianci; he's likely already reached the level of a Third-Order God!" Yang Fan was secretly alarmed.

As his own strength continued to improve, his perception grew increasingly keen, even when facing true gods. He could rely on their aura to vaguely judge their approximate level.

And the person before him gave him a feeling much more dangerous than Luo Hai, yet he didn't seem to have truly stepped into the level of a Middle-Order God.

"Cousin!" Gu Le waved her hand and naturally took Yang Fan's arm. "I thought you weren't coming today."

The man smiled faintly. "I heard you got married. I had to come and see what kind of skills my brother-in-law has."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Yang Fan.

In an instant, Yang Fan felt a powerful mental pressure suddenly descend.

It was a feeling similar to facing the eye of the god during the first trial of the Heavenly Pride Apotheosis Battle, but the difference was that all the pressure was now concentrated solely on him.

It was like a heavy hammer smashing down ruthlessly.

Even with Yang Fan's current mental strength, he felt an extremely strong sense of oppression.

But in the next second, that aura quickly vanished, as if nothing had happened.

"Cousin, you have good taste." The man nodded with satisfaction.

Gu Le immediately tilted her chin up. "Of course, this is the person I chose myself."

Then she smiled and looked at Yang Fan. "Hubby, let me introduce you. Gu Jiuheng, graduated from Taichu Academy 30 years ago, and is now a Third-Order God and a Brigade Commander in the Ninth Legion. By seniority, he's my cousin."

Hearing this, Yang Fan's heart jolted slightly.

Reaching the level of a Third-Order God at around fifty years old meant his Divine Kingdom talent was definitely not simple.

One must know that in Yang County, the head of the Luo Family, Luo Hai, was only a Third-Order God, yet he had lived for who knows how many tens of thousands of years.

The gap between gods was sometimes even larger than the gap between a Mortal and a god.

"Greetings, Cousin."

Gu Jiuheng waved his hand, his attitude quite gentle. "No need to be so polite. Since you've joined the Gu Family, you're one of us. When you graduate from Taichu Academy in the future, you can come work under me."

Before Yang Fan could respond, Sima Tianci, who was nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Brother Yang, don't listen to my cousin and go to the Ninth Legion. That place is a wolf's den; there are mandatory quotas for hunting Alien Gods every year, and you won't even be able to rest for two days."

Hearing this, Gu Jiuheng rolled his eyes. "You like being lazy yourself; don't assume others are like you. You have the 'Dao Child' talent, yet you lie flat in the Fifth Legion every day. Don't go corrupting my brother-in-law."

"What do you mean 'Lying Flat'? I call that balancing work and rest." Sima Tianci coughed twice.

Gu Jiuheng couldn't be bothered with him and turned back to Yang Fan. "The Ninth Legion does have mandatory missions, but they are mainly for ordinary gods. Since you are a member of my Gu Family, you naturally won't have those kinds of restrictions."

Yang Fan nodded slightly. "Thank you for looking out for me, Cousin."

Although he didn't understand the rules of the frontline Legions, he could feel that Gu Jiuheng bore him no ill will.

Soon, as more and more people entered the restaurant, the banquet officially began.

In the center of the hall, a floating orchestra began to perform, and soothing, melodious music slowly drifted through the air.

Numerous mechanical waiters carrying drinks and spiritual fruits shuttled back and forth, and the atmosphere of the scene gradually became lively.

Many young men and women raised their glasses to toast each other, while others gathered to talk in low voices.

They discussed the development of Divine Kingdoms, the prospects of Legions, the Frontline War Zones, and even the recent movements of certain alien races.